Defence accuses Habakkuk Monastery witness of lying, presents ‘forged’ document

Local churchHabakkukreligionsaint habakkukTop Newstrial Defence accuses Habakkuk Monastery witness of lying, presents ‘forged’ document Avakoum 768x512 1 1 Relevant News Defence accuses Habakkuk Monastery witness of lying, presents ‘forged’ document 16 September 2026 Explainer: EU chief wants Canada to become an ‘associate member’. What does that mean? 16 September 2026 EU eases carbon rules to help heavy industry stay competitive 16 September 2026 newsroom 16 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Defence lawyers for two monks on trial over the Habakkuk Monastery case spent Wednesday trying to poke holes in the testimony of prosecution witness Father V., presenting photos and video from monastery life to challenge his account of oppression and unequal treatment. The first defendant’s lawyer accused the witness of lying, continuing a cross-examination begun the previous Monday. The second defendant’s lawyer then produced video and photographs he said directly contradicted the witness’s claims, and warned there was more still to come, given how much material he intends to put in front of the court. The case was adjourned after a defence request and will resume on September 23 and 28. The two defendants, Archimandrites Nektarios and Porphyrios, both suspended clergymen, face a litany of financial misconduct charges, including conspiring to defraud the monastery and embezzling funds from both Saint Habakkuk and the Church of Saint Nicholas. Nektarios faces additional charges, including possession of €806,660 in suspected stolen funds and tax evasion. Some 71 witnesses are expected to testify in the case, including Bishop Isaias of Tamassos. Both men were granted bail under strict conditions after their court appearance, including surrendering their passports and reporting to police twice a week. Much of Wednesday’s questioning centred on receipts. The witness said he had never personally seen a receipt issued during a sale, despite the monastery having receipt books, no cash register, and Sundays that drew large crowds. Lawyer Costis Efstathiou also pressed him on his identity card, pointing out he had filed a lost-ID declaration rather than a straightforward renewal, and suggesting his account of an approaching expiry date didn’t add up, since the card was actually due to expire in 2025. The witness held his ground, saying the outcome was the same either way, and that the first defendant had kept his documents regardless. Efstathiou then produced a payroll document bearing the witness’s photograph, which the witness insisted was forged, saying he had no idea how his picture had ended up on it. The second defendant’s lawyer, Efstathios Efstathiou, took a different approach, presenting a digital storage device with 16 photos and videos meant to show the witness had been treated no differently from any other monk. One video, filmed at the confectionery workshop over Christmas, showed three monks and four women baking to carols, with three commercial ovens visible. The witness had testified he was forced to work 24-hour shifts there, and stood by that account even as he confirmed the footage. A photo from a 2022 pilgrimage to Jerusalem showed the witness holding a camera, given to him, he said, with the first defendant’s blessing, since he had no phone unlike other monks. He insisted the gesture didn’t erase what he described as unequal treatment. Another photo showed him building a snowman, which he brushed off as simply “playing in the snow.” Pressed on whether that needed a blessing too, he said not everything did, only things like eating or drinking coffee. The defence also raised a fainting episode involving the witness and other monks. He put it down to exhaustion and a gas leak, later specified as carbon dioxide inhalation, rejecting the suggestion he was picking and choosing facts to suit his story. He added that a similar episode had happened during a livestreamed service, though he no longer has the footage to prove it. (Cyprus News Agency) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Explainer: EU chief wants Canada to become an ‘associate member’. What does that mean? EU eases carbon rules to help heavy industry stay competitive Saudis pound Yemen, Houthis fire at Saudi, as Middle East war spreads Fire breaks out near Androlikou, Paphos, “Astrapi” plan activated War-damaged Gaza building collapses, killing 20 people sheltering inside Five historic Limassol buildings that were given new life and transformed the city’s image Cyprus must turn fiscal stability into investment and growth, Central Bank governor says Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.