Last Monday, a fire broke out in a monks’ cell near the Holy Monastery of Stavronikita on Mount Athos, and investigations suggest arson as the cause. The alleged perpetrator, a 63-year-old Romanian individual, confessed to the act after being brought in by the police for questioning regarding theft and property damage.
The incident unfolded when a monk filed a complaint against the suspect, prompting the police to question him. During the interrogation, the 63-year-old claimed that the fire resulted from a candle he lit upon entering the cell and mentioned detecting a gas smell. The Fire Brigade has compiled a case file on the arson, which will be submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of First Instance in Thessaloniki.
While the suspect awaits trial on charges related to the arson, he has been arrested for his alleged involvement in two prior break-ins at a hostel adjacent to the targeted cell. In these incidents over the past 20 days, he is accused of stealing various items, including tools, a car key, and a tablet, while causing damage to the hostel’s furniture. The prosecution is pursuing the flagrante delicto procedure, and the case will be heard at the Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Thessaloniki.
Source: ANA-MPA / Article translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
