The next day at "Ark of the World" describes the announcement of the new Board of Directors that was made public late last night. According to the announcement, an international firm of chartered accountants and a large law firm will undertake a thorough audit of the activities of Father Antoniou, his wife and the members of the previous Board of Directors, who were replaced by a government decision.
The announcement stresses that the purpose of the new Board of Directors is the proper operation of the structures and the protection of the host children.
The entire announcement of the new board of directors of the "Ark of the World" is as follows.
Our first concern is the proper functioning of the structures for the protection of the hosted children.
For the audit of the operation of the institution, there will be cooperation with an international firm of chartered accountants and a reputable law firm.
- The Money Laundering Authority makes the "Ark of the World"
- Storm of revelations about the Ark of the World. New documentary evidence of abuse[/URL]
A team of experienced administration and social service providers is also being organized to ensure the proper daily operation of the Ark of the World structures.
At the same time, it is important at this time to restore public trust in civil society.
Regular updates will follow.
The new Board of Directors of "Ark of the World". Giorgos Protopapas, general director of "SOS Children's Villages".
Errika Economou, psychologist, secretary of "Friends of Theotokos".
Andreas Zobanakis, economist, president of the Centre for Special Needs "Joy".
Andreas Zobanakis, economist, president of the Centre for Special Needs "Joy".
Konstantinos Glumis-Atsalakis, lawyer, Director of the Office of the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.
They are searching the "Ark of the World" for black funds
Meanwhile, from the rain of allegations of food abuse and indecency by Father Antonio, the authorities have now put the finances of the "Ark of the World" under the microscope, the Money Laundering Authority has ordered the opening of the bank accounts of Father Antonios and Elder Stamatia Georgantis, as it was found that the NGO had significant annual surpluses.
The head of the Black Money Laundering Authority, former deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Haralambos Vourliotis, has already launched an investigation into the assets of the head of the "Ark of the World", his close relatives and third parties involved in the management of the structure's finances.
In particular, it is being sought whether these persons have properly handled the financial assets (funds, etc.) of the structure. It should be noted that the money of the structure comes from sponsorships, grants and the savings of ordinary citizens for the children of the Ark.
The Money Laundering Authority will check the legality of the acquisition of assets by these persons, and will also check whether the offence of embezzlement from the funds of the structure has been committed.
It follows that all the persons checked will have their bank accounts opened and their acquisition of immovable and movable property will be investigated, in order to establish, by comparison with the assets declared in their tax returns, whether or not their property was acquired by criminal acts.
What the balance sheets show
Ark's balance sheets show that the organisation had annual revenues of between €4 million and €5 million, with a surplus ranging from €500,000 to €1 million. At the same time, however, the Ark of the World itself published on the Internet at regular intervals how much money it had raised for food, heating and other fixed costs. Today, however, on the Ark's website, the only reference to its finances has to do with 2015: in the form of a graph it is pointed out that its resources that year were 100% private.
The Ark has become a constant point of reference, almost "omnipresent" in its field of action. Proof of the popularity and esteem that the Ark of the World and Father Anthony personally enjoyed is the fact that in recent years, the request of relatives at many funerals has been to deposit money in the bank accounts of the organization in memory of the deceased instead of wreaths, flowers, etc.As it completed 23 years of operation, the Ark of Father Anthony had achieved the status of the obvious recipient, not only of appeals for help and intervention, but also of sponsorships of any kind. From volunteer work and free promotion of its work to material contributions (in technical equipment, fuel and consumables, tickets and services, payment of rents, etc. even with the granting of entire buildings, such as the one revealed by the widow Karelia, or simply money), the support of the Ark was considered absolutely secure, above any suspicion.
Moreover, at every opportunity, the managers of the structure stressed that the only source of income for the Ark of the World is donations, since it is not financed, directly or indirectly, by public bodies, although this also proved to be untrue, following the "freezing" of its funding by the Ministry of Finance.
Implicitly sending the message that no donation to the Ark is wasted, none is wasted, that everything "pays off", always for the benefit of children who are deprived and suffering. And donors did indeed flock to the doorstep of the Ark, as the organization joined a peculiar "train", which businesses of all categories and sizes, along with a multitude of individual citizens, famous and obscure, rushed to follow.
The successive awards, the distinctions, the constant promotion in the media of the charitable work it performs by caring for hundreds of children, were taken as a certification that the Ark is an island of selfless charity, focused on the child and the mother. To date, a network of branches has been developed throughout Greece, as the organization is becoming increasingly complex, multi-human and costly.
Source: Proto Thema
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