Archimandrite Nektarios, one of the monks implicated in the Osiou Avakoum Monastery scandal, was arrested on Tuesday.
The Nicosia District Court granted an eight-day detention request for Nektarios, who is under investigation by the police. According to police information, his arrest relates to the financial aspects of the case. He faces about eleven charges, including embezzlement, conspiracy to embezzle, and obtaining money under false pretenses.
Nektarios’ arrest followed a report from the Cypriot Tax Department that was forwarded to the police last week. He is also being investigated for alleged conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, forgery-related offenses, and tax crimes. The Saint Habakkuk Monastery scandal revolves around alleged financial improprieties and misconduct.
The police are investigating financial crimes related to the scandal at the Osiou Avakoum Monastery, where €800,000 in unaccounted cash was found. Some monks were also discovered to own private property in Greece and Limassol. Additionally, the Bishop of Tamassos, Isaias, who alerted the church to the scandal, is under investigation for allegedly bringing nearly 30 men and 10 hooded figures to forcibly remove the monks from the monastery.
The monks of the monastery are also facing a disciplinary process with the Holy Synod, as Isaias has filed allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety with the church body. The monastery’s lawyers have vehemently denied all accusations, calling them “fabricated” and emphasizing the legitimacy of their financial operations.
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