Vatican detains person with documents in leaks scandal

(May 25, 2012) The Vatican, which has been embroiled for months in a scandal involving the leak of secret papers, said on Friday its police had detained a person in possession of confidential documents. In a verbal response to journalists, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said the person was being questioned by Vatican magistrates, but gave no details. “The investigation by the Vatican’s Gendarmes police, under orders of the cardinals’ commission and under the direction of the Vatican’s Promoter of Justice, was able to find out the person who is in illegal possession of confidential documents,” Fr. Lombardi said. “This person will now the face the Vatican court for further investigation,” he added. Pope Benedict XVI had set up a commission of three cardinals to investigate the leaks of sensitive documents to the media alleging corruption and mismanagement in the Vatican. The scandal, which has come to be known as "Vatileaks", involved the leaking of a series of documents to Italian media in January and February.