The Judicial Council of the Court of Appeal in Athens has decided Friday to remand Abbot Efraim of Vatopedi in detention. Abbot Efraim is the key suspect of the land swap scandal between the Mount Athos monastery and the state that broke out in 2009.
The judicial council’s decision solved the disagreement between the public prosecutor Panayiotis Mantzounis and the special investigator Herene Kalou, which occurred after the Abbot’s hearing in early November.
The investigator supported that the Abbot should go to jail, while the prosecutor believed the defendant should be released on restrictive orders of not leaving the country, paying 200.000 Euros and regularly appearing at his closest police department.
The Abbot had appeared before the examining court one month ago, just after he had returned from his visit to Moscow and the Russian PM Vladimir Putin. The Russian Patriarch Kyril had invited Efraim to Russia as an official representative of the mission of the Virgin Mary relic that travelled from Mount Athos to several Russian cities.
A few days ago Efraim had appeared before the judicial council and defended himself by putting extra emphasis on his humanitarian work. However, the final resolution of the appealing prosecutors showed him the way to jail.
The Abbot is being accused of being the main protagonist of the land swap scandal between his monastery and the state in the area of the Lake Vistonida.
Another basic suspect of the case is Monk Arsenios, who was set free on bail and must appear at a police department twice a week.
Both Arsenios and Efraim claimed that their actions held no personal gain but only aimed at enhancing the finances of the Monastery, so that it could cover the monks’ daily needs, as well as host the 25.000 annual faithful visitors.
Members of Advisory Councils, KED, surveyors and mechanical engineers, lawyers and solicitors had already testified to the case prior to the two clergy men.
The arrest warrant for Abbot Efraim has been issued and forwarded to the police department of Karyes, in order to be executed immediately.
According to information, the Vatopedi Abbot will surrender himself to justice on Saturday.
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