Bishop’s lawyer blames Greek businessman

AT LEAST some pieces of the puzzle would seem to be falling into place in the backlog of cases implicating Limassol Bishop Chrysanthos, if the cleric’s American lawyer is to be believed.

Lewis Rivlin, who — as first reported by the Cyprus Mail — is being sued by an Ecuadorian charitable foundation, has given his side of the story on the maze of allegations surrounding Chrysanthos’ business dealings.

In an telephone conversation with Alithia, Rivlin said he in turn was suing a Greek businessman in Athens in connection with the case of the Portuguese businessmen who claim Chrysanthos swindled them out of $1.5 million. Rivlin is also suing the same Greek in the case of the Ecuadorian foundation.

According to Rivlin, the Greek businessman, who owns the Z-Finance S.A. company in Athens. persuaded Chrysanthos to open an account at ING Bank in Athens, where profits would be transferred after investment in a high return scheme. Rivlin claims that Chrysanthos was misled into believing that the profits from the investment would be used in humanitarian projects.

The money was later reportedly transferred to another bank account before the relative documents had been signed by Chrysanthos’ lawyer. Neither Rivlin nor the bishop have access to this account, the lawyer claims. Rivlin also said he intended to appeal a Washington D.C. District Court decision against him in the lawsuit filed by the Ecuadorian foundation.

Last week Justice Minister Nicos Koshis informed the House ad hoc Committee on Crime that a total of 26 cases involving the bishop were being examined.

Chrysanthos has not been formally charged in connection with any case, while investigations seem likely to get back into full swing after the customary mid-August summer break.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.