Holy Synod and Metropolitan Council address Special Investigative Committee
At its session on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, the Metropolitan Council passed a resolution that a Special Investigative Committee be “established by the Metropolitan Council in conjunction with the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America”. The resolution listed seven points concerning the work of the proposed Holy Synod/Metropolitan Council Special Investigative Committee:
“1. Determine what tasks need to be concluded in order to determine what happened in the financial affairs from 1998-2007, what were the root causes that allowed inappropriate financial transactions, and what corrective actions are necessary to prevent recurrence of such inappropriate financial transactions;
“2. Conduct all necessary interviews of persons that in the committee’s judgment may have information germane to the matters in issue, considering no witnesses off limits;
“3. Make written recommendations to the Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synod regarding implementation of the corrective actions necessary to prevent recurrence of inappropriate transactions;
“4. Recommend such other actions as the committee may feel appropriate;
“5. Provide quarterly reports to the Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synod regarding the progress of the committee;
“6. Make decisions within the committee by majority vote of the committee, with the Chair voting to resolve tie votes;
“7. Conclude the investigation and provide a written report to the Metropolitan Council and the Holy Synod of the committee’s complete findings.”
At the joint session of the Holy Synod of Bishops and Metropolitan Council on Wednesday, October 17, the Holy Synod issued the following response to the Metropolitan Council’s resolution.
“Having on 16 October 2007, established a second Special Investigative Committee; and having recognized the request of the Metropolitan Council that a Holy Synod/Metropolitan Council Special Investigative Committee be established; and, accepting the seven points of the Metropolitan Council’s resolution of 16 October 2007; the Holy Synod blesses the work of the Special Investigative Committee.”