Police hold church stakeout after illicit service participants refuse to come out

Police have been staking out a monastery in the Limassol District’s Erimi village since 9am on Thursday after finding out that a service attended by the public was taking place, but attendants are refusing to leave the premises in fear of being booked.

According to the police, after receiving a tip that a priest was conducting a service attended by members of the public, in violation of several parameters of government decrees in place in view of containing the coronavirus outbreak, police rushed the scene of the monastery to file reports and issue fines against those present.

Police told Knews that officers entered the church, spotting several people participating in the service, but once they exited the premises in order to confer on how to deal with the situation, the priest hid the participants of the service in rooms inside the monastery.

While police moved the file a report against the priest, the faithful are refusing to leave the rooms, which police claim they are unable to forcefully enter, leaving officers staking out the monastery awaiting those who attended the service to finally come out.