Avakoum scandal monks released on €100,000 bail

Two monks involved in a financial scandal at the infamous Osiou Avakoum monastery were released on bail but were imposed with a travel ban on Thursday.

The two monks, Nektarios and Porfyrios were ordered to pay €100,000 bail and submit all their travel documents.

Also, part of the court order is for the pair to appear at the Ayios Dhometios police station two times a week.

The court on Thursday also registered a case against them at the Nicosia Criminal Court, whose first hearing will be on September 27.

The two monks face a total of 19 charges including: conspiracy to commit fraud, unlawful possession of property, theft by proxy, money laundering, false tax declaration and an act likely to influence a police investigation.

Nektarios, 37, had previously been serving a second eight-day remand for investigations into the same case against Porfyrios.

The 37-year-old monk had been arrested in mid-June on 11 charges including money laundering, tax evasion, theft, forgery and interfering with court proceedings.

At the time, court heard Nektarios had €1.1 million which he did not declare, as well as allegations that he tried to influence witnesses in the case.

Porfyrios had not been originally arrested in the case but has now been included in the criminal proceedings due to begin in September.

Police explained that the court decided to register the criminal case against both monks on Thursday, and not just Nektarios.

Back in March, both men of the cloth were found to own property in Greece and Limassol and were found with €800,000 cash in a safe box.

In April, Nektarios broke his silence for the first time in a lengthy Facebook post saying the developments have “shaken his soul” but not dented his faith in God. He stressed he never had sexual relations with another monk and was “illegally kicked out from the monastery”.

Police are also investigating alleged crimes by the Bishop of Tamassos Isaias, who had alerted the church to the scandal and is alleged to have brought close to 30 men and 10 hooded figures to remove the monks from the monastery forcibly.

Monks of the monastery are also facing a disciplinary process with the Holy Synod, as Isaias has filed his allegations for sex and cash to the church body.

The church is currently examining the issues raised by Isaias, with an investigative committee from the synod, having submitted their findings to the Holy Synod, who will issue the judgement through the ecclesiastical court.

The monks face defrocking, something they have questioned, as according to their legal team, Isaias has already issued judgement for the alleged crimes.

Upon learning of the alleged crimes, he suspended the monks, something the legal team says means the church procedures underway indicate that there is double jeopardy.