Abbot Ephraim of Vatopedi Monastery to be Released on Bail

  A big Bravo to the Greek prison system that managed to bring a defendant in custody to reason and brought him to denounce crime for ever and ever. Abbot Ephraim, accused for the Vatopedi Monastery  land swap will be relased exit the prison cell after three months in custody. Abbot Ephraim will be released from prison  on conditions like a 300,000-euro bail, banning from leaving the monastery grounds and the country and obligation to appear twice a month at a police station,

News portal Capital.gr  revealed the reasoning for the judges decision. The Judges Council of Court of Appeals decided in favor of Ephraim’s release after a thorough examination of the case showed the following findings:

– “The time of custody exceeding three months is considered as enough to bring the defendant to reason and to prohibid him from committing other crimial acts.”

– “Ephraim is the only defendant on temporaty detention, while dozens of other defendants in the case were not.”

-“There is no possibility of reinvolvement that it may affect institutions on behalf of the accused until final resolution of the issue by the competent courts.”

-“Ephraim is not suspect of fleeing from the country.”

-“There are health reasons.”

-“He has no criminal involvement, neither before nor after Vatopdei or othe illegal acts.”

– Moreover, many and important representatives of the religious world expressed strongly positive about the person, character and work of the accused, a fact that also argues that the defendant committed the offense solely in the context of claiming from the Monastery of the above property and that there is not about a personality with propensity to commit other crimes.” (Capital.gr)

The trial will take place sometime in the future.