Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Vatican Bank (Institute for Religious Works) - God and the Mafia’s Private Bank

Institute for Religious Works - Vatican Bank



A US court described it as “murky” [1] and the last President of the Vatican Bank admits that it offers secret accounts to many who “have had problems with the law”. There are no cheque books. Everything is done by transfer, by cash or in gold bullion, so as to be untraceable. This is perfect for money-laundering. And, as if the nine-metre thick walls of its tower in the Vatican did not offer enough privacy, “God’s bank” appears to have quietly established itself in the offshore financial centre of the Cayman Islands. [3]

As the bank of an independent state, the Vatican Bank escapes scrutiny from Italy. In addition, it has an impenetrable organisation, with three separate boards of directors. And it boasts another curious feature: it is said to be “never audited”, hence funds deposited there may simply vanish without a trace. [4] The Vatican Bank even maintains that it adopts the remarkable practice of destroying all of its records every ten years. [5]

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