Monks at Avvakum Monastery deny charges – Thousands of euros involved
Two monks from the Holy Monastery of Avvakum, Nektarios and Porphyrios, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them before the Nicosia Criminal Court. The case involves significant financial crimes linked to the monastery’s financial management.
The monks face multiple charges, including:
- Conspiracy to Defraud
- Committing Felony
- Illegal Possession of Property
- Theft by Trustee
- Forgery
- Circulation of Forged Documents
- Theft
- Money Laundering from Illegal Activities
- False Tax Declarations
- Interference with Judicial Process
Nektarios is facing 24 counts, while Porphyrios is charged with seven of these.
In a previous hearing, an amendment was approved to Count 16, adjusting the amount involved from €196,000 to €63,568. Additionally, the suspension of Count 5 (Theft by Trustee), which was exclusively linked to Nektarios, was also approved.
Details of the case:
The indictment outlines a series of conspiracies to embezzle funds from the monastery’s bank account. Among the accusations is the illegal possession of €806,660 by the Abbot, which is classified as stolen property. According to reports, the money was collected from donations by worshippers and sales, which were allegedly not deposited into the monastery’s official bank accounts.
Further charges claim that the monks stole €18,776.58 from the church’s account using checks, and an additional €19,800 from the bank account of the Avvakum Monastery Retreat.
Nektarios is specifically accused of stealing €20,186.29 from the account of a person identified as P.X. and €17,211.60 from the account of N.P.
He is also facing charges for intentionally filing false income declarations for rental income:
- €16,500 in 2020
- €16,400 in 2021
- €7,000 in 2022
The indictment further claims that he attempted to influence a tenant, identified as AAA, to withhold a rental agreement document from the police during the investigation.
Next court date:
The next hearing is scheduled for September 11 at 9:00 AM. The court ordered that the accused monks appear under the same bail conditions as before.
