Pope's ceremonial usher and a Basilica chorister implicated in gay prostitution ring

ONE of Pope Benedict's ceremonial ushers and a member of an elite choir in St Peter's Basilica have been implicated in a gay prostitution ring.

In the latest sex scandal to taint the Vatican, Ghinedu Ehiem, a Nigerian, was dismissed from the Giulia Choir after his name appeared in transcripts of police wiretaps, published by an Italian newspaper.

The wiretaps were carried out in connection with an investigation into corruption in public works contracts, including building the planned venue in Sardinia of last year's G8 summit. The summit was eventually moved to the Abruzzo region to help it recover from an earthquake.

Among four people arrested last month in the corruption investigation was Angelo Balducci, an engineer who is a board member of Italy's public works department and a Vatican construction consultant. Balducci – a member of an elite group of Vatican ushers – was arrested on corruption charges and the allegations of prostitution emerged only later.

Excerpts of the wiretaps and police documents published in the daily La Repubblica showed Ehiem, 40, had been in regular contact with Balducci before Balducci's arrest last month and had spoken about gay sex.

Police papers published in part by La Repubblica said Balducci was in contact with Ehiem and an Italian who were part of what police called "an organised network … to abet male prostitution".