Koutsou denounces ‘unspeakable’ attack in Vatopedi scandal

EUROPEAN Party deputy president Nicos Koutsou yesterday hit back at reports that his Abbot brother had funded his political career through allegedly illegal dealings in Greece.

Hr said he had already alerted his lawyers to the reports, calling them “filth” and an “unspeakable attack” against his person.

Koutsou’s brother, Father Efrem is the abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery on Greece’s Mount Athos and is currently in the public spotlight over allegedly dubious real estate transactions in Greece.

The scandal has already led to the resignation of a Greek cabinet minister.

As the story unfolded, attention became focused on Koutsou after a letter, allegedly from a group of Mount Athos monks to the Greek parliament, which condemned the actions of the Cypriot abbot.

It also alleges that Efrem used, and continues to use monastery finances to fund Koutsou’s political career.

Koutsou questioned the existence of the alleged group of monks.

“Politically speaking, I have to say that it is only political dummies who, instead of having the courage to find reason to oppose me openly, hide behind a group of mentally ill people in order to attack their political opponents,” Koutsou said at a news conference yesterday.

He said the reports had little to do with Efrem and Vatopedi and were being used to target people in Cyprus.

“There are other goals here concerning Cyprus, and the objectives are clear. It’s to discredit people if there are disagreements in the event the Annan plan is resurrected,” said Koutsou who was one of the most vociferous opponents of the 2004 UN peace plan.