Russian priest’s testimony obfuscates Malta diplomat car accident

Conflicting versions have emerged from court proceedings on the traffic accident involving a Russian priest and a car belonging to a consular officer of the Maltese embassy in Moscow.

The Russian courts this week heard the testimony of an orthodox priest who was involved in a car crash while driving, under the influence, a BMW sports car that allegedly carried diplomatic licence plates belonging to the Maltese embassy in Moscow.

The foreign ministry claims the priest, Alexei Podobedov, had purchased the car from its consular officer, Nikoali Soukmandjiev, and that the officer has no diplomatic immunity. But eyewitnesses at the scene of the car crash said the licence plates were removed by men who arrived on the scene in a Cadillac after being summoned there by the priest.

The court proceedings in Moscow on the puzzling accident is however beset with more mystery and conflicting versions then ever before.

While the Maltese foreign ministry told MaltaToday in July that the priest was sold the car, Soukmandjiev says the priest - known as abbot Timofei of the Church of Elijah the Prophet - stole the car which he later crashed into two oncoming cars as he crossed seven lanes of traffic.

On his part, Podobedov told the court he had a power of attorney - which he did not present in court - from Soukmandjiev, which is needed to drive somebody else's car in Russia.

In a written declaration, Soukmandjiev claimed he never granted the power of attorney to Podobedov to drive his BMW, accusing him of stealing it. According to Soukmanjiev's statement read out by the judge, Podobedov took the car from the parking lot at the mall.

The foreign ministry had told MaltaToday that Soukmandjiev was not on the scene of the incident, as alleged by an eyewitness.

Police reports cited in Russian news website Gazeta.ru say the blue BMW Z4 carried the number plates 112D007 77rus, allegedly diplomatic plates traced to the Maltese consulate.

The website published an eyewitness photo of the car with the licence plates removed, as alleged by eyewitnesses involved in the collision.

Irina Likholetova, who was at the wheel of the Toyota that Podobedov crashed into, had told police that the licence plates were removed after five men arrived in a Cadillac Esplanade. She also claims she was offered compensation of 350,000 rubles but that she refused since she was fully insured.

Abbot Timofei's involvement in the collision was confirmed by his own Church and lawyer.

On her part, Likholetova is understood to have told police that Soukmandjiev arrived on the scene, whereupon the red diplomatic plates on the BMW were removed. "Then they started to knock at my windows insistently and offer me money. One of the men offered me 350,000 rubles ($11,000). But I explained I had insurance," Likholetova said.

Likholetova also claimed that Soukmandjiev told police - who initially suspected the priest, dressed in civilian clothes, might have stolen the car - that he knew the priest.

The priest refused to sign the police incident report or take a medical examination, while another eyewitness Una Driff, claimed she could smell alcohol on the priest. "He could hardly stand. I think he couldn't even read the report and in the end refused to sign it," she said.

The Church of Elijah the Prophet confirmed to Gazeta.ru that Podobedov had been on sick leave since 31 July. The priest's lawyer Vyacheslav Podoprigora denied suggestions that Podobedov may have been drunk or intoxicated, and said the priest was on medication.

Podobedov is one of several prominent senior priests who condemned the actions of punk group Pussy Riot for miming a "punk prayer" criticising President Vladimir Putin in the city's main cathedral in February. The trio were arrested and a court's verdict in their much-criticised trial on hooliganism charges is due on Friday.

However Podobedov himself provoked a scandal earlier this year for granting access to pop star to give a speech during a christening from the restricted ambone of his church: the same area used by Pussy Riot in their cathedral protest.