Monks embroiled in the Osiou Avakoum monastery scandal on Friday requested that their trial at the Holy Synod be postponed.
The monks appeared in the ecclesiastical court on Friday morning with a new lawyer George Stylianou.
Speaking outside the archbishopric, one of their former lawyers for the church proceedings Anastasios Vavouskos said the monks filed a request to have the trial postponed so the new lawyer has a chance to familiarise himself with the case.
Their other attorney Efstathios Efstathiou decided on Thursday to not represent them in the church trial as he felt it was a not a fair trial and the outcome was already predetermined.
The three monks on trial, Archimandrites Nektarios and Porfyrios, who also face a civil case, and monk Avakoum appeared at the archdiocese at 8.45 on Friday to appear in front of the six-member Holy Synod court.
“I hope that they accept the request to postpone because aside from legal reasons, there are humanitarian reasons which necessitate it,” Vavouskos said.
Witness testimony is set to be given by Bishop of Tamassos Isaias, who is also being investigated by police after complaints were filed by the suspended monks.
Also, another monk, Varnavas, who is the one that informed Isaias of all the issues at the monastery, will also testify.
The defence has previously said that Varnavas is an unreliable witness, as he had been coaxed by Isaias to gather further evidence against the accused monks in the sex and money scandal.
A church source told the Cyprus News Agency that the result of the trial has already been determined. The source said the defrocking of the two suspended Archimandrites must be considered “certain”, since, as he explained, the indictment includes dozens of charges, some of them very serious.
The three accused are facing ecclesiastical offences, as well as moral offences.
In addition, concealing church property and embezzlement of church funds are among the charges.
For the civil proceedings against the monks set to begin on September 27, Efstathiou will continue to represent them.
