Vatican Radio bosses fined

2005-05-09 21:48

Rome - The president and director-general of Vatican Radio, the official broadcast voice of the Roman Catholic Church, have been given 10-day prison sentences because their transmitters give out too much interference, said court officials on Monday.

Last November, an Italian magistrate asked for 15-day prison terms for Cardinal Roberto Tucci, the president, and Father Pasquale Borgomeo.

The giant transmitters, which beam programmes worldwide, were located in Cesano, north of Rome, where local people complained that electromagnetic pollution from them was causing health problems.

An Italian environment ministry investigation in 2001 found magnetic fields that exceeded standards and were much higher than the permitted six volts a square metre in 11 out of 14 sites checked.

- AFP