Archbishop Georgios: Church not involved in state land exchanges
Archbishop Georgios denied any involvement by the Church in state land exchanges that were examined by the Anti-Corruption Authority.
Archbishop Georgios: Church not involved in state land exchanges
Archbishop Georgios firmly rejected any possible involvement by the Church in the exchanges of state plots investigated by the Anti-Corruption Authority, in light of the findings from the book "Mafia State". He also stated that the Church is prepared to return a donation it received from Malaysian fugitive Jho Low, should a court order require it.
Speaking to Alpha, the primate responded to claims concerning the transfer of state land to the Archbishopric, as well as the broader conclusions published by the Authority. According to its findings, the state expropriated a church plot in Engomi for the construction of a school and subsequently approved the transfer of state parcels in Agia Napa as compensation.
Whilst the plot was presented to the relevant authorities as being worth €5.7 million, subsequent land registry information showed that the parcels ultimately transferred had an estimated value exceeding €10.6 million. The Authority concluded that the state may have suffered significant damage and recommended investigation of former Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis for possible abuse of authority.
The Archbishop stressed that the state requested the expropriation and undertook himself the identification of replacement properties. "As far as we know, the Church had no involvement whatsoever," he stated. He added that the Church would comply with any legal decision: "If there is a court order, the Archbishopric does not want any shadow over this."
Regarding the donation from Jho Low, the businessman at the centre of the 1MDB scandal, the Archbishop reiterated that any court order would be observed. The Church received approximately €300,000 from Low for the financing of the Theological School during the time of Archbishop Chrysostomos II. The donation was made before Low became an international fugitive.
The discussion comes less than two weeks after a court order for the seizure of a villa in Agia Napa worth approximately €6 million belonging to Low. The property was seized following a joint application by the Attorney General and MOKAS. Low obtained Cypriot citizenship in 2015 through the now-defunct investor programme, which was rescinded by the Cabinet in 2024.
Source: Cyprus Mail
Source: Cyprus Mail