Ex-bishop puts blame on ‘satanic’ monks
The former bishop of Attica, Panteleimon, accused monks of hatching a «satanic plan» to frame him for allegedly stealing money from a convent as his trial on criminal embezzlement charges began yesterday. Panteleimon allegedly siphoned off some 280,000 euros’ worth of funds from the collection boxes of the convent of Ossios Ephraim in Nea Makri, northeastern Attica, between 1995 and 1998. He was fired from his post last summer as a result of these charges as well as allegations that he was linked to a trial-fixing ring. The former bishop claimed during his trial yesterday that monks had set him up because they did not want to allow him to administer the convent. He said that Ossios Ephraim had broken off contact with the Church of Greece and was being run like a «religious supermarket». The trial is due to continue on Tuesday.
