Victoria police won't investigate claims of Vatican money transfers to Australia linked to Pell case
Victoria police has confirmed being made aware of payments from the Vatican to Australia, but says that without evidence of “suspicious activity” it is not investigating them.
On Tuesday, Australia’s financial crimes watchdog, Austrac, revealed it had provided information to the federal and Victorian police after it was asked to examine allegations that €700,000 (A$1.1m) had been paid from Vatican funds, allegedly in connection with George Pell’s court matters.
Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells had asked Austrac to investigate claims in Italian newspapers that Cardinal Giovanni Becciu, a rival of Pell, was suspected of paying an Australian witness in the child sexual abuse case.
Related: Claim bribes paid to frame George Pell as sex abuser 'ludicrous', complainant's father says
On Friday, a Victoria police spokeswoman told Guardian Australia: “Austrac has made Victoria police aware of transfer of monies from the Vatican over a period of time to Australia.
“They have not advised Victoria police of any suspicious activity related to these transactions.
“In the absence of any other evidence or intelligence, Victoria police has noted the advice from Austrac. We are not at this time conducting any further investigation.”
Becciu has denied making any such payments and Vivian Waller, the lawyer who represented the man who accused Pell of sexually assaulting him in the 1990s, has similarly denied any connection to the claims.
“My client denies any knowledge or receipt of any payments,” Waller said in early October.
At a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, Fierravanti-Wells revealed she had written to Austrac about the alleged payments.
Nicole Rose, the chief executive of Austrac, replied: “Yes I can confirm Austrac has looked into the matter and we’ve provided information to the AFP and to Victoria police.”
An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said on Wednesday it had received information from Austrac as “part of a routine exchange of financial intelligence”.
“The AFP is undertaking a review of the relevant information. The AFP has concurrently referred aspects of this matter to the Victorian Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.”
Pell’s barrister, Robert Richter QC, said earlier this month it was incumbent on Australian and international authorities to investigate the allegations.
“They are concerning allegations and require thorough investigation of the money trail, wherever that may be.”
Becciu and Pell had been at odds over the Australian’s efforts to overhaul the management of Vatican finances.
Related: Alleged Vatican payments linked to George Pell case referred to Victorian corruption watchdog
La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera newspapers reported earlier in October that Pell’s reformist agenda threatened to expose alleged corruption committed by Becciu when he distributed millions of dollars in donations between 2011 and 2018.
“I categorically deny interfering in any way in the trial of Cardinal Pell,” Becciu has said.
The Italian cardinal resigned last month amid a corruption scandal, saying he had been asked to step aside.
Pell was charged with multiple sexual offences in June 2017. A Melbourne jury convicted Pell of five charges in December 2018 after an earlier jury was unable to reach a verdict.
Victoria’s court of appeal upheld the convictions last year before Australia’s high court overturned the convictions in April.
