The two Avakoum monastery monks, Nektarios and Porfyrios, did not answer to the charges they are facing on Tuesday and proceedings have been postponed anew till February 13.
The monks appeared before the criminal court again on Tuesday, to answer to charges of money laundering and defrauding.
The defence lawyer asked for more time, pending the delivery of evidence by the prosecution, which was expected this week.
The extra time was requested so that the defence had time to look over the evidence.
The prosecution did not object.
On December 19, 2024, the monks did not answer to the charges they are facing and proceedings were postponed till January 21, after the defence requested further details regarding the charges.
The defence lawyers said that if the charges remained in their current form, an objection against their complexity would be raised.
The Holy Synod had already ruled in favour of upholding the disgraced monks’ defrocking.
Charges brought to the religious court and listed in its latest ruling, include lewdness, “sodomy, impurity, and cohabitation”, posting and distributing indecent photos, “acts of solicitation”, fraud and misleading believers with false miracles.
According to the verdict, Nektarios, the apparent ringleader of the whole ignominious affair, went so far as to pretend that Saint Avakoum had taken over his body, faking his voice, and also faked fainting after “exorcisms” – all to extort money from believers.
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