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Submitted August 4, 2004
Regarding the George Behrakis Interview
The
Editor
The National Herald
Dear Sir:
It was very disturbing to read the
responses of Mr. George Behrakis , a prominent
business man and long term member of the
Archdiocesan Council and its Executive Committee,
to Mr. Theodore Kalmoukos's questions about the
$1.5 million loan taken out by the Archdiocese to
pay victims of clergy sexual abuse reported in the
July 24/25, 2004 issue of The NationalHerald.
In his responses to Mr. Kalmoukos's'
questions about the $1.5 million loan Mr. Behrakis
stated "I am not really knowledgeable in that
particular area. I read about it in The
National Herald".. and that he was "... a
little surprised that $1.5 million was borrowed."
A $1.5 million amounts to about ten percent
of the annual budget of the Archdiocese.
Therefore, it is not an item in the ordinary
course of the financial affairs of the
Archdiocese. A loan of $1,5 million is an
extraordinary event. How can such a loan be
authorized without a member of the Council and its
Executive Committee being aware of it? Why must a
member of the Council and the Executive Committee
find out about a $1,5 million loan by reading it
in The National Herald. If Mr. Behrakis
missed the meeting, wasn't it on the meeting
agenda? After it was approved, were not the
members notified as to the action taken? Does the
authorization of the loan appear in the minutes
of any Council or Executive Committee meeting?
Are the Council and the Executive Committee
involved in such matters or are these decisions
made by others? Why does Mr. Behrakis refer Mr.
Kalmoukos to Jerry Dimitriou and Manny Demos? How
can a $1.5 million loan be outside of" the
particular area" of which Mr. Behrakis is "really
knowledgeable"? Do Council and Executive
Committee members have knowledge of only
particular areas of Archdiocesan administration
and no responsibility or concern in others? Are
the other members of the Council and its
Executive Committee as unaware as Mr. Behrakis
states he is with respect to the authorization and
details of the $1.5 million loan?
The Archdiocesan Council and the
Executive Committee administer the financial
affairs of the Archdiocese. Accordingly, all these
questions concerning the $1.5 million loan require
complete and straightforward answers.
Evan Alevizatos Chriss
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