Foreign ministry denies Moscow priest’s car had Maltese diplomatic licence plates

The Russian news website Gazeta.ru has published a photograph of a BMW sports car that is suspected of having had a diplomatic license plate belonging to the Maltese consulate to Moscow when it was involved in a car collision on 31 July.

The photo shows the licence plates removed, as alleged by eyewitnesses involved in the collision.

According to police reports, the Russian orthodox priest Alexei Podobedov, known as abbot Timofei of the Church of Elijah the Prophet, was behind the wheel and allegedly intoxicated when he crossed seven lanes of traffic before colliding into a Volkswagen Tuareg and a Toyota Corolla.

Citing the police report, Gazeta.ru reported that the blue BMW Z4 carried the number plates 112D007 77rus, allegedly diplomatic plates traced to the Maltese consulate.

Irina Likholetova, who was at the wheel of the Toyota that Podobedov crashed into, has 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.

The Maltese ministry of foreign affairs claims that the BMW belonged to one of its consulate employees, Nikola Soukmandjiev - the name of which is also mentioned in the police incident report cited by Gazeta.ru - who had sold the car recently to the priest. The ministry also claims that Soukmandjiev was not on the scene of the incident, as alleged by eyewitness Likholetova. It also said the officer had no form of diplomatic clearance and only the ambassador's car could have diplomatic licence plates.

"He was riding his bicycle at the time he go to know of the incident," a foreign ministry spokesperson said. The collision happened late at night, with eyewitnesses saying the police incident report was finally compiled at 5am of 31 July.

Abbot Timofei's involvement in the collision is 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 has confirmed to Gazeta.ru that Podobedov has been on sick leave since 31 July. The priest's lawyer Vyacheslav Podoprigora, has also confirmed that the priest underwent treatment when the accident happened. "Of course we are ready for compensation. If the car is in the opposite lane, it is hard to interpret it otherwise."

The lawyer denied suggestions that Podobedov may have been drunk or intoxicated, and said the priest was on medication.

The lawyer's comments to Gazeta.ru also make no mention that the car was sold to the priest by the Maltese consular employee: "An orthodox believer provided the car, he is of Bulgarian origin, he knows my client."

This case will be heard in a road police review group on August 17, where the priest is expected to lose his driving licence, a police spokesperson told Gazeta.ru.

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.