Damanhour Criminal Court has adjourned the trial of suspects Wael Saad Tawadros, formerly known as Ash’eyaa al-Makary and Raymon Rasmy Mansour, formerly known as Faltaous al-Makary, in the murder of Bishop Epiphanius to January 31.
The court has decided to hear the defense of Wael and Raymon within the next trial.
The court heard the prosecution plead after the prosecution showed video records of Wael confessing to the crime and reenacting how he committed the murder.
Wael denied his involvement in killing Bishop Epiphanius in the previous sessions, claiming that he was abused and pressured into confessing by investigators.
The Interior Ministry’s Criminal Investigations Department said that police investigated Wael in the monastery without exercising resorting to force or pressure during the investigations.
Back in July 2018, Bishop Epiphanius was found dead in front of his monastic cell at the Saint Macarius Monastery at Wadi al-Natroun. Monks at the scene immediately notified al-Natroun police, who discovered that the Bishop had fractures in the back of his skull leading to suspicion of murder.
After Public Prosecution office in Alexandria concluded investigations in August, Wael and Raymon were sent to criminal trial over the murder.
Wael confessed to the killing, and was deprived of his ecclesiastical rank.
He claimed that he hit Epiphanius three times on his head using an iron tube, which was prepared specifically for the crime. He added that his partner in crime Raymon had been making sure the coast was clear until the deed was done.
Raymon later unsuccessfully attempted suicide on August 6 to escape punishment, and underwent police watch at the Anglo American Hospital in Zamalek while recovering.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
