The two monks on trial for forgery and money laundering have been hit with another five charges, bringing them to a total of 24, Nicosia criminal court heard on Wednesday.

Archimandrites at the scandal-hit Osiou Avakoum monastery Nektarios and Porfyrios are on trial for financial crimes.

Their defence asked for more time to assess witness material, which they claimed the prosecution only handed over on Tuesday.

The hearing was adjourned to November 21, however the defence team specified they would file an objection over five new charges added to the charge sheet.

Both monks initially faced 19 charges including illegal possession of property amounting to €196,000, forgery, theft, false tax declaration, money laundering and interfering in court proceedings. The five new charges concern theft by proxy.

The monks are free on certain conditions until the next hearing.

Earlier this month, the two monks were defrocked and stripped of all priestly duties, following a Holy Synod decision they vowed to fight. They retain their monastic status.

The monks were embroiled in a major scandal that rocked the church, where videos emerged of them engaging in ‘sexually unethical acts’, as well as their involvement in allegedly scamming money out of believers.