By Elias Hazou
THE WAIT for Limassol Bishop Chrysanthos finally came to an end yesterday when he suddenly showed up at Larnaca airport.
Reporters at the airport awaiting the arrival of Greek Health Minister Costas Yitonas were stunned to come across Chrysanthos in the airport’s VIP lounge. The bishop had arrived on an Olympic Airways flight from Athens.
“I am not afraid of speaking to anyone,” insisted Chrysanthos, adding that there was no case against him.
Bishop Chrysanthos is wanted for questioning by Scotland Yard detectives who are in Cyprus investigating a £3.7 million fraud. He had been missing from the island since July 16.
The bishop said yesterday he would be meeting Archbishop Chrysostomos and members of the Holy Synod on Sunday, during Archbishop Makarios’ annual memorial at Kykkos Monastery. He also denied reports that the Holy Synod would convene today, explaining that Church protocol dictated an eight-day notice first needed to be issued.
Chrysanthos confirmed that his luggage had been checked by airport security on his departure about two weeks ago, but that he considered this to be standard procedure for anyone.
Airport customs officers yesterday took copies of various documents found in the bishop’s luggage on his arrival.
Asked whether he objected to speaking with Scotland Yard detectives, Chrysanthos said that he had “no problem talking to anyone about anything.”
But he confirmed that he wanted any questions to be put in writing.
Chrysanthos declined to respond to the allegations surrounding him, saying he did not wish to go into details before meeting the Archbishop.
Responding to a reporter’s comment that public trust in the Church had been shattered, Chrysanthos simply remarked: “That depends on who wants to shatter it.”
Phase two of the Chrysanthos saga is now set to begin, with British police, Cyprus police and the Church all waiting to question him over the fraud allegations.
British detectives Brian Hill and John Logan arrived on the island last Monday to investigate the Cyprus angle of the £3.7 million fraud. But the bishop had already left the island. Four people have been arrested in Britain in connection with the fraud, apparently claiming Chrysanthos was also involved.
Police sources have told the Cyprus Mail that the bishop has a right to refuse to be questioned by the British detectives.
The investigation is set to take considerable time, as the accounts of several banks are still to be examined.
But even if he is cleared of involvement in this particular case, Bishop Chrysanthos still has to answer a number of questions about allegations of shady business dealings with his bishopric’s funds.
His parishioners have accused him of withholding charity money intended for community projects, the Russian Orthodox Church says £700,000 it gave for the building of a Russian church in Limassol have gone to waste, and rumours that the bishop is involved in the purchase of a hotel in Larnaca have not pleased the Church, which forbids any member from holding personal bank accounts and using Church funds for private purposes.
