Calvi death stays mystery

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 6

Calvi death stays mystery

NZPA-Reuter London The death of the Italian banker, Roberto Calvi, remained a mystery yesterday when a British inquest jury failed to decide if he killed himself or was murdered. After a two-week hearing, the jury returned an “open verdict”—meaning that it could not decide how Mr Calvi came to be found hanging from a London bridge in June last year. ‘ The jury did not accept allegations by the family of Mr Calvi, known as “God’s banker” for his ties to the Vatican, that he was killed to stop him closing a huge deal involving the Vatican Bank. Nor did it accept, the finding of an earlier injpst

clear, factual evidence, not on theories, and I must say there has been no clear evidence to suggest Calvi Was unlawfully killed—but you are the judges of that.” The Calvi family’s assertions centre on $1.4 billion allegedly owed to Banco Ambrosiano by the Vatican Bank. into the banker’s death that he committed suicide, a verdict quashed by the High Court on appeal by his family. Mr Calvi was president of the now liquidated Banco Ambrosiano, Italy’s largest private bank. The coroner, Mr Arthur Davis, had warned the jury: “A verdict of unlawful killing must be based on very