Metropolitan of Tamassos suspected of embezzling church funds

Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos. Photo: Cyprus Times

On June 18, 2025, the Ministry of Justice of Cyprus instructed the police to prepare two indictments against Metropolitan Isaias of Tamassos, according to a report by Cyprus Times.

Following a directive from the Legal Service, case materials were forwarded to the court. The charges concern financial and technical violations within the metropolitan’s diocese.

As Philenews reports, the Ministry of Justice ordered the police to draft two sets of charges. The first involves the alleged embezzlement and laundering of approximately €32,000, which reportedly went missing from the accounts of the Metropolis.

The second charge relates to the unauthorized installation of surveillance cameras at the Monastery of Saint Avvakum, which prompted intervention by the Commissioner for the Protection of Personal Data.

Investigations began after a high-profile conflict at the monastery, with one of the complainants being Archimandrite Nektarios, who had been suspended. Metropolitan Isaias, it is noted, has refused to testify during the investigation.

Archbishop George, head of the Church of Cyprus, has already commented on the matter, stating that the Church will cooperate fully with law enforcement and will not interfere with the course of the investigation.

Thus, the Church of Cyprus now faces a new crisis that extends beyond internal disputes and may result in formal legal proceedings.

Earlier, the UOJ reported on the details of an appeal made by a Cypriot hierarch to Patriarch Bartholomew.

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