New evidence has emerged regarding the case of the Old Calendar priest allegedly involved in a clergy ring that was trafficking drugs. According to a television program, messages sent by the accused to a 43-year-old man have been made public, with content currently being investigated by authorities.
Read: Clergy drug ring suspects receive Wednesday deadline to testify (Video)
The person who received the messages stated that he did not respond to the priest’s proposals and subsequently revealed the messages publicly.
Clergy drug ring: “You’ll make so much money you won’t need to work, you’ll be the boss”
“Looking good, am I bothering you?” read the first message, followed by: “I don’t know, you didn’t give me permission to talk to you like this. I always had it in my mind. I believe it always flattered you that people saw you that way. That you were purely a man and that was it. Someone would have needed a lot of courage to approach you.”
“I know you’ve been through difficult times and I never judged you for all that. On the contrary, I understood everything… I personally was never afraid of you. If you’re ready we can talk, and if you agree too, that’s fine, otherwise we’re still friends,” the priest wrote before making his proposal.
“How are you doing with your romantic life? Listen. You’re in. Come join us and you’ll be the boss. And you’ll do everything to have me under your thumb. To make me afraid. To force me to serve you. Are you interested? You’ll just be the boss. To grab and do whatever you want. For me to take care of you. Come for an hour. You’ll make so much money you won’t need to work, listen, you’ll be the boss. F… how else can I put it? Tell me the most abnormal fantasy you have. Do you like making money?” he asked the 43-year-old, receiving a negative response according to the person who spoke on the “Revelations” show.
Testimony from man who received romantic advances from the 46-year-old priest
It should be noted that the priest was arrested by Greek police as part of a police operation that resulted in 8 total arrests, with seized cocaine weighing 2,238 grams and raw cannabis weighing 9,092.6 grams. Another cleric was also arrested in connection with the same case, who allegedly gave drugs to a third party in Rhodes to transport to Athens. The investigation by experienced Narcotics Division officers began at least two months ago and yielded significant results.
46-year-old has criminal history of physical violence
According to police sources, the 46-year-old Old Calendar priest – who has a criminal history of physical violence – appears to have worked directly with the alleged ring leader, participating in drug trafficking among other activities. Reports indicate that quantities of cocaine and raw cannabis were sometimes stored inside a church in Attica, with the 46-year-old and at least one other cleric exploiting their religious status.
Based on the criminal organization’s operational methods, hierarchical structure and roles, “professional” activity emerges with illegal profits exceeding €105,000.
The 46-year-old Old Calendar priest’s YouTube channel has over 200,000 followers and features traditional monastery recipes. There’s also an option for those who wish to contribute financially for charitable purposes, while his interviews have been hosted by many media outlets – both print and electronic.
