Two police investigative teams began taking statements yesterday following explosive allegations by researcher Makarios Drousiotis regarding an international crime ring and a historical rape case.
The investigation follows public claims by Drousiotis involving current and former officials in illegal activities. The case also includes allegations of a rape involving a minor several decades ago.
Drousiotis and former MEP Demetris Papadakis both provided statements to police on Wednesday. Meanwhile, lawyer Nikos Clerides, who first obtained screenshots allegedly showing private communications from former Supreme Court Judge Michalis Christodoulou, also made public comments.
Questions remain as to why the evidence, allegedly obtained by a woman nicknamed “Santi” from Christodoulou’s phone in 2019, remained hidden for five years. Clerides confirmed he received the messages then and distributed them to his circle, including lawyers and journalists.
This occurred while his brother, Costas Clerides, served as Attorney General, yet the messages were never presented to the authorities. Clerides cited “peculiar circumstances” faced by himself and the alleged victim for the delay.
Inconsistency regarding the alleged victim’s age has also surfaced. Clerides spoke of “Santi” being raped at age 12 or 13, and Drousiotis claimed she had a child at 16. However, Clerides later described her as a 45-year-old mother of three minors, a timeline that remains unclear.
According to Clerides, the woman does not wish to testify. “She insisted that she does not want her identity revealed, nor does she want to give evidence,” he told Alpha.
Drousiotis spent 80 minutes at the Police Academy yesterday, meeting with the lead investigator and Chief of Police Themistoklis Arnaoutis. He told reporters that a long process had begun, stating, “The die is cast.”
Demetris Papadakis, whom Drousiotis linked to Christodoulou, filed a formal complaint at Nicosia CID. He is seeking an investigation into Drousiotis for publishing false news, forging documents, and destroying evidence. Papadakis has handed his devices to a forensic expert to prove he never exchanged messages with the former judge.
Christodoulou, who is expected to file his own complaint against Drousiotis, previously denied the allegations on television. He confirmed knowing the woman, stating she approached him in 2020 claiming to be from his home village. He dismissed the rape and paternity allegations as “nonsense.”
Drousiotis also posted images on social media allegedly showing a joint bank account between Christodoulou and “Santi” featuring a €275,000 credit. Users on social media have questioned the authenticity of these documents due to grammatical errors and the use of a stock photo of a briefcase full of cash previously used by a Dutch website.
The claims by Drousiotis suggest a wide-reaching conspiracy involving the justice system and political figures, including former President Nicos Anastasiades and other high-ranking officials.