The founder of Ark of the World, Father Antonios, is facing another major legal development, as a prosecutor has proposed that he and three other individuals, his wife Stamatia Georganti, his mother Despina Papanikolaou, and a close associate, stand trial for financial crimes related to the management of the organization. If the competent judicial council adopts the recommendation, this will become the third separate criminal case against him.
The case file concerns alleged mismanagement of the organization’s resources and assets. The charges include, depending on the individual, repeated breach of trust (mismanagement of another person’s property), large-scale embezzlement, money laundering, as well as complicity and moral instigation in these offenses. According to the prosecutor’s proposal, the total financial damage is estimated to approach €1 million, far exceeding the €120,000 threshold above which such offenses are treated as felonies.
The first case, concerning punitive behavior, has already become final, resulting in a sentence of more than nine years in prison, while the second trial, concerning allegations of sexual abuse against two minors, began yesterday.
At the center of the investigation is the handling of donations, cash, and valuable items belonging to the organization, within what prosecutors describe as a framework marked by inadequate financial oversight and highly centralized management. The proposal outlines an alleged scheme through which the organization’s resources were used for personal benefit and later given an appearance of legitimacy through financial transactions.
This development comes while another trial involving Father Antonios is already underway over felony charges of sexual abuse involving minors, following his earlier conviction and sentence of 9 years and 8 months in prison for punitive treatment of children hosted in Ark of the World facilities.
Source: Εfimerida ton Sintakton
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