Holy Synod court calls for more details in monk scandal (Update 2)

By Nikolaos Prakas and Iole Damaskinos

An ecclesiastical court decided on Wednesday to call for further investigations by a three-member committee looking into the Osiou Avakoum monastery extortion and sex scandal.

According to announcement read out by the Bishop of Karpasia Christoforos, who is in the six-member court, the decision was taken following new data that surfaced.

The allegations he said had been sent to be examined by the committee by Tamasos Bishop Isaias, who alleged among other things extortion of money from believers and that the two monks in question were caught on CCTV footage having sex.

However, with their announcement on Wednesday, the church seemed to be passing buck back to the investigative committee and was not clear on the matter of when investigations would wrap up and or when the next court gathering would be.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, theologian Ioannis Antoniades clarified some details, saying that the further investigations referred to would probably wrap up by the beginning of next week, and there would be a decision to hold the next hearing later in the week.

“They will try to finish before the Easter holiday,” Antoniades said about the whole process surrounding the scandal.

“Logically next week there will be a meeting to discuss when to hold the next court session.”

The six-member court is headed up by Kiti Bishop Nektarios, who is joined by Arsinois Bishop Pagkratios, Limassol Bishop Athanasios, Karpasia Bishop Christoforos, Constantias Bishop Vasilios, and Amathountos Bishop Nikolaos.

Originally Tamasos Isaias and Morphou Neofytos were meant to be on the court, but were replaced by the current make up, one for having made the allegations, and the other due to the fact he was on good terms with the monks.

Earlier reports said the clerics have before them a large body of visual and auditory evidence, and the first step in the proceedings will be for Isaias to present the case before the church body.

Following the dramatic opening of the case last week, online testimonies from laypersons have proliferated, raising a slew of questions about the legality of the monks’ fundraising activities, ambitious upgrades to the site, and absence of building permits.

Among the testimonies surfacing on social and other media, are exhortations to elderly to donate large sums, bogus cures, icons “crying holy water” effected with a contraption, and even of disturbing exorcisms performed by the abbot, one of the two monks under investigation.

Isaias involvement and handling of the case, including how long he was aware of the exploitation of residents and visitors from far and wide, have also come under fire following allegations by the disgraced monks that the bishop’s behaviour towards them post-discovery was illegal.

On Tuesday it emerged that an ex-police chief and the head of far-right party Elam, Christos Christou, had been called to act as witnesses for proceedings at the Tamasos bishopric where the monks were allegedly grilled  in the immediate aftermath of what has been described as a raid on the monastery.

All this is to be reviewed by the ecclesiastical court while evidence of financial crimes or other criminal offences by clerics are being investigated in tandem by police.

The ecclesiastical authorities had decided on Friday that two monks involved in an alleged sex and cash scandal would have to appear before the court to answer charges brought against them.

It is expected that all involved in the case under investigation, including clergy, monks and lay people, will be called to testify.