An Italian cardinal who was convicted of embezzlement and fraud said on Tuesday he would not take part in the secret conclave to elect a new pope, as thoughts turned to who will succeed Pope Francis who died last week.

The Italian cardinal at the heart of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” is withdrawing from participating in the upcoming conclave.

Becciu was sentenced to nearly five years in prison after a Vatican criminal court found him guilty of fraud and embezzlement.