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Three priests charged with defaming Indian cardinal

Kerala priests accused of forging documents to prove that Cardinal Alencherry was corrupt and had illicit money dealings
Three priests charged with defaming Indian cardinal

Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, presents a book to Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome. (Photo: diocesan website)

Published: December 20, 2020 03:39 AM GMT
Updated: December 20, 2020 03:59 AM GMT

Police in India's Kerala state have filed charges against three Catholic priests and a layperson, three years after they were accused of conspiring and forging documents to defame Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church.

The accused, members of the Archdiocese of Ernakulum-Angamali, created fake bank documents and forged other documents to prove the cardinal had made substantial financial gains from an alleged land scam in the archdiocese, police records claim.

A special investigation team of Kerala police filed charges against Father Antony Kallookaran, Father Paul Thelakat, Father Benny John Maramparambil and software professional Adithya Z. Valavi before a court in Ernakulum district on Dec. 18.

"I am happy. I will wait and argue my innocence in the case," Father Thelakat told UCA News on Dec. 19.

"It has been three years since the case investigations were going on. Now the case has come to court," he said, expressing confidence about the progress.

In November 2017, a group of priests in the archdiocese accused Cardinal Alencherry, head of the archdiocese, and two priests of selling off church land and incurring a loss of about US$10 million for the archdiocese.

Following the allegations, the Vatican in June 2018 removed the cardinal from administrative positions in the archdiocese and appointed Bishop Jacob Manathodath as its apostolic administrator.

Bishop Manathodath was also tasked to probe the allegations against the cardinal, who continues to be the major archbishop and head of the Syro-Malabar synod. He is based at the church's headquarters in Ernakulam.

A priest official of the synod in February 2019 filed a criminal complaint accusing Bishop Manathodath and Father Thelakat of forging documents to defame the cardinal.

The complaint said Father Thelakat forged documents showing that the cardinal had transferred money from his private bank accounts to some corporate accounts. The bishop was accused of presenting the documents to the synod to tarnish the cardinal.

As the issue led to a public spat between those who supported Cardinal Alencherry and those who opposed him, the state government initiated a probe.

Investigators claim the first accused, Father Kallookaran, who opposed Cardinal Alencherry in the land scam, and the fourth accused, Valavi, had been friends since 2015.

They are accused of forging documents to prove that the cardinal was corrupt and had illicit money dealings and investments. They allegedly wanted to add pressure to a demand for the cardinal to step down from the office of major archbishop.

All four accused met at the office of Father Thelakat, who is also editor of a diocesan magazine. They shared some documents and decided to forge other documents, it is claimed.

Father Jose Vailikodath, the spokesperson of the Archdiocesan Protection Committee, a body of diocesan priests who wanted clarity in the land deal case, said that "the truth will come out in the court and that the innocent would be acquitted."

"Taking into account the background of the case, any sensible person will understand the case is a concocted one," the priests' body said in a statement.

The Archdiocesan Movement for Transparency, a lay group that spearheaded a public protest seeking action against Cardinal Alencherry in the land case, said "the charges were just a last-minute attempt to save the face of a man who has been accused in over 16 criminal cases."

The Catholic Forum, a lay group supporting the cardinal, said police records were still incomplete. It said an auxiliary bishop and five more priests were part of the conspiracy.

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