Charity founder’s lawyer speaks out for first time

The lawyer of Father Antonios Papanikolaou, the founder of the Ark of the World children’s charity which is under investigation for child abuse and financial crimes, spoke for the first time on Saturday, lashing out against the Church, the government and the NGO’s new board of directors. 

In strongly worded remarks, the lawyer said there is no official complaint that has reached the competent authorities against Father Antonios and his wife Stamatia Georgantis, no charges have been filed, nor have they been summoned to give testimony. 

“The abysmal hatred of the official Greek Church for the work of ‘Kivotos’ has met the electoral angst of the government, which, through a board of directors whose chairman is a woman shipowner, without warning, illegally and arbitrarily, locked [the charity] up and literally threw the family of Father Antonios out into the street,” said Thrasyvoulos Kontaxis.