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Pope butler's 'helper' Claudio Sciarpelletti on trial Pope butler's 'helper' Claudio Sciarpelletti on trial
(about 3 hours later)
A computer technician has gone on trial in the Vatican City charged with aiding and abetting the Pope's former butler in stealing papal documents.A computer technician has gone on trial in the Vatican City charged with aiding and abetting the Pope's former butler in stealing papal documents.
Claudio Sciarpelletti is accused of helping Paolo Gabriele leak the confidential documents while working in the Vatican's Secretariat of State. Claudio Sciarpelletti has been accused of helping Paolo Gabriele leak the confidential documents while working in the Vatican's Secretariat of State.
Mr Sciarpelletti's lawyer argues that his client has no case to answer and the trial should be dropped. Mr Sciarpelletti's lawyer argued that his client has no case to answer and the trial should be dropped.
Gabriele was given an 18-month prison sentence by the same court last month.Gabriele was given an 18-month prison sentence by the same court last month.
He admitted passing documents to a journalist, but said he did it out of love for the church and the Pope.He admitted passing documents to a journalist, but said he did it out of love for the church and the Pope.
The former butler is serving his sentence in a special detention room inside the Vatican's police station, amid talk that he may be pardoned by Pope Benedict XVI.The former butler is serving his sentence in a special detention room inside the Vatican's police station, amid talk that he may be pardoned by Pope Benedict XVI.
Wider conspiracy? 'Emotional state'
Mr Sciarpelletti, 48, handled secret communications in Secretariat of State, the nerve centre of the Roman Catholic church, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome. Mr Sciarpelletti, 48, handled secret communications in the Vatican's Secretariat of State, the nerve centre of the Roman Catholic church.
Investigators say he helped Gabriele leak the confidential documents to the Italian media. His lawyer said an anonymous tip-off led Vatican police to search Mr Sciarpelletti's desk last May - finding an envelope addressed to Gabriele containing copies of sensitive documentation that had been leaked to the Italian media.
Mr Sciarpelletti was arrested briefly in May, but then released after the Vatican said he played only a "marginal" role in the scandal. During his brief arrest, he is said to have given confused and contradictory explanations to investigators.
In Monday's opening session, his lawyer maintained that there had been no significant link between Mr Sciarpelletti and Gabriele and that the trial should be dropped. Defence lawyer Gianluca Benedetti denied the claims that the former butler and Mr Sciarpelletti had been good friends, and said his client had been in an "emotional state" in his interviews with investigators.
However, the judge ruled that the trial must continue. The Vatican has since said he played a "marginal" role in the scandal.
Interest in the case centres on who the witnesses called to give evidence may be, our correspondent says. A senior cleric and two top Vatican security officials are expected to be called. Senior Vatican communications officer, Greg Burke, said that although Mr Sciarpelletti was being charged with aiding and abetting Gabriele, it was "more like an obstruction charge" relating to his contradictory testimony, the Associated Press reports.
However, the judge refused Mr Benedetti's request to drop the trial, and said the next hearing would be scheduled for Saturday. Analysts say his trial is likely to be shorter than Gabriele's which lasted for a week.
Interest in the case centres on who the witnesses called to give evidence may be, correspondents say. A senior cleric and two top Vatican security officials are expected to be called, as well as Gabriele himself.
It is thought the trial may shine a light on the extent to which other Vatican employees, including clerics, may have been involved.It is thought the trial may shine a light on the extent to which other Vatican employees, including clerics, may have been involved.
Much of the stolen information ended up in a best-selling book by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi about corruption, scandals and infighting at the Vatican.Much of the stolen information ended up in a best-selling book by journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi about corruption, scandals and infighting at the Vatican.
Gabriele confessed to taking the papers, but said he believed the Pope was being manipulated, and that he hoped to reveal alleged corruption at the Vatican.Gabriele confessed to taking the papers, but said he believed the Pope was being manipulated, and that he hoped to reveal alleged corruption at the Vatican.
The Vatican authorities are limiting press access to Mr Sciarpelletti's trial and no TV cameras are to be allowed in court, our correspondent says. The Vatican authorities have limited press access to Mr Sciarpelletti's trial and no TV cameras were allowed in court.