Two clergymen, Archimandrites Nektarios and Porphyrios, are set to face trial on a litany of financial misconduct allegations in the Saint Habakkuk Monastery scandal.
The Nicosia District Court has referred their case to the Assize Court, where proceedings will commence on September 27.
The clergymen, both currently suspended, have been implicated in a complex web of illicit financial activities. A total of 71 witnesses are prepared to testify against them, including Bishop Isaias of Tamassos.
Nektarios and Porphyrios are accused of conspiring to defraud the Holy Monastery of Saint Habakkuk, siphoning off funds for personal gain rather than depositing them into the monastery’s accounts. Furthermore, they stand accused of embezzling funds from both the monastery and the Church of Saint Nicholas, withdrawing substantial sums for their own use.
In a separate instance of alleged misappropriation, the pair are accused of illicitly diverting funds from Saint Habakkuk prior to its official recognition as a monastery.
Archimandrite Nektarios, in particular, faces a slew of additional charges. He is accused of possessing a substantial sum of €806,660, suspected to be stolen, and of further embezzling funds from the monastery and other sources. Additionally, he has been charged with tax evasion for allegedly submitting false tax returns and failing to declare substantial rental income from various properties in Limassol.
Following their court appearance, both defendants were granted bail under strict conditions.
These include the surrender of their passports, mandatory reporting to a police station twice a week, and the issuance of a stop list order, preventing them from leaving the country.
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