Vatopedi abbot under guard in his cell

Page last updated at 05:33 GMT, Tuesday, December 27, 2011 - 10:33 EST

AMNA- Civilian administrator of Mount Athos Aristos Kasmiroglou on Saturday told the Athens News Agency (AMNA) that Vatopedi monastery Abbot Ephraim will be kept under guard in his monk cell following a decision by Thessaloniki First Instance Court prosecutor Antonis Papamattheou.

The prosecutor visited the monastery with Halkidiki Police Director Konstantinos Papoutsis to execute a pending warrant for Abbot Ephraim’s arrest issued on Friday by a Court of Appeals Judges’ Council in Athens.

Abbot Ephraim is confined to bed with high fever while he has also been diagnosed with blood sugar deregulation as it was confirmed by a medical examiner accompanying the prosecutor.

The Court of Appeals Judges’ Council on Friday decided that Abbot Ephraim of the Vatopedi monastery, one of the leading defendants in a notorious case concerning suspect land swaps between the monastery and the Greek state, be held in custody pending trial.

The ruling was in favour of the stance adopted earlier by examining magistrate Irene Kalou, who disagreed with prosecutor Panagiotis Matzounis suggesting that Abbot Ephraim be released with conditions after posting bail of 200,000 euros.