Police investigators visited the Tamassos Bishopric recently to gather more evidence related to the scandal surrounding the Saint Habakkuk Monastery.
They were also reviewing video footage of hooded individuals’ “invasion” on March 5 to ascertain if off-duty police officers were present.
However, due to the complexity of the case, developments are ongoing, and it is not expected that there will be any movements within the next three days.
Both criminal investigators have been involved in the investigations since yesterday, overseeing, advising, and monitoring the investigations of both levels and the efforts to clarify whether there was police involvement at the Monastery, apart from the two officers commissioned for security during the transfer of funds and other valuable items to the Tamassos Bishopric.
Yesterday, the Police spokesperson, Christos Andreou, stated that the weight of the investigations lies in the evidence gathered from the Monastery or the Bishopric, particularly the €807,000 in cash and the video footage of the “invasion” by hooded individuals and other persons from the Bishopric.
The investigation into the substantial amount of cash focuses on its origin and whether any criminal offenses arise from its accumulation, such as whether it was declared to the state as income, etc.
Two other units of the Police, namely the Cybercrime Unit and the Vulnerable Groups Management Sub-Directorate, have also been involved in the investigation.
The former is examining all videos and posts related to the case, while the latter is investigating the video of the assault on a woman by a monk using a belt.
According to Andreou, the Police have the evidence of the over €800,000 from the Monastery.
Regarding the videos related to the case, the Police spokesperson noted that their publication could potentially harm the case if it goes to court in the future, hence he appealed to stop their leakage.
As for the hooded individuals who entered the Monastery on March 5, with some still inside, Andreou mentioned that an investigation has been conducted, and the security company employing them has a license, clarifying that wearing a hood is not a crime unless done with the intention of committing a criminal act.
Neither the woman nor the two Archimandrites Nektarios and Porphyrios are assisting in the investigation of the assault on the woman by the monk, nor have they reported it.
All three were summoned yesterday by the Vulnerable Groups Management Sub-Directorate (V.G.M.S.D.) after a self-initiated investigation by the Police to give testimony.
The woman reiterated that she has no complaint and does not wish for the prosecution of the monk.
In fact, she is said to have faced pressure to file a complaint against the specific monk, which she did not do.
Both Archimandrites of the Monastery, Nektarios and Porphyrios, were also summoned for the same case, and they also did not testify against the monk.
Following these developments and some additional actions, the file of this particular case will be forwarded to the Legal Service to decide whether it will be brought to court under these circumstances or not.
As we were informed, the case may go to court after the monk is summoned and the woman who receives the beatings explains why she has no complaint.
Meanwhile, information from Phileleftheros suggests that the two Archimandrites Nektarios and Porphyrios have not yet appeared to testify and substantiate their accusations against Bishop Isaiah regarding threats and violence against them.
This has not happened, as we are informed, because they are gathering all the material they have in their possession to hand it over to the investigators (videos and SMS), for which they have already obtained approval from the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection.
The two Archimandrites have sent a summary of their complaint to the Police, and it is expected that next week they will appear before the investigators to testify.
