Father Antonios faces new trial over Kivotos tou Kosmou financial management

Father Antonios Papanikolaou, founder of the organization Kivotos tou Kosmou, has been referred to trial by the Council of Misdemeanor Court Judges for alleged financial mismanagement. He will be tried alongside his wife, Stamatia Georganti, and a former employee of the organization. The charges include breach of trust, embezzlement, and money laundering. The court has maintained the restrictive measure of a travel ban for both Father Antonios and his wife. This new case adds to existing legal proceedings against him. He is currently involved in a closed-door trial at the Mixed Jury Court regarding allegations of misconduct involving two former beneficiaries. Furthermore, he has already received a definitive conviction of nine and a half years in prison for offenses related to the corporal punishment, isolation, and forced labor of children in the organization's care. The judiciary maintains that the defendants bear specific responsibility for the organization's financial activities.