Paul Keenan
A religious order of nuns in Buenos Aires is to face a Church investigation over allegations that members worked with a corrupt government official in hiding $9 million in cash and jewels at their convent.
The investigation comes after the arrest of government minister Jose Lopez in June at the convent on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. He was found in possession of bundles of cash and jewels by police. Following this, Argentine media released CCTV footage of Lopez in the act of carrying cash into the convent with the help of two nuns. One of the nuns is now facing charges before a court on August 1.
Investigators claim they can prove a documentary link between Lopez and the convent stretching back a decade.
The leader of the Church investigation, Rev. Tom O’Donnell said his work would be “to determine if there was a canonical crime and help the actions of the civil justice”.