A bishop and four priests have been arrested in Brazil on suspicion of diverting church funds of £425,000. The group is accused of spending donations, wedding and baptism fees on personal expenses, including a cattle farm and a lottery ticket shop. The alleged diversion of funds took place in the cities of Formosa, Posse and Planaltina. Bishop José Ronaldo Ribeiro is among those arrested. A spokeswoman for the Goiás state prosecutor’s office has not confirmed the names of the other clergymen. The Vatican has announced the appointment of an extraordinary administrator to serve in Bishop Ronaldo’s absence. Although the Pope has not removed Bishop Ronaldo from his post, Archbishop Paulo Mendes Peixoto of Uberaba will fulfil his duties in the diocese of Formosa. The term used by the Vatican was “sede plena et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis”, used when the bishop is unable to continue leading the diocese. Bishop Ronaldo was appointed to the diocese in 2014. A police investigation began in 2015, when parishioners complained. In an interview with local media two years ago, Bishop Ronaldo denied any wrongdoing. Douglas Chegury, who is in charge of the case, told media that Bishop Ronaldo is also suspected of diverting church funds in the Diocese of Janaúba, in the state of Minas Gerais, where he served from 2007 to 2014. Chegury said: “The bishop faced this same type of problem in the Diocese of Janaúba. He was transferred from there to here, where he [is said to have] implemented a similar scheme,” according to the news site G1. Local courts had allowed prosecutors to wiretap the phones of the accused. The Brazilian bishops’ conference issued a statement expressing solidarity with the parishioners of the diocese. “The truth must be determined with justice and transparency, for the good of the individual church and the bishop,” it said. The Diocese of Formosa has not replied to requests for comment.