A family’s 20-year pursuit of justice over the death of National Guardsman Thanasis Nicolaou has cleared a hurdle after the Attorney General rejected a defendant’s attempt to halt their private prosecution.
Giorgos Savvides told the lawyer for one of the five defendants that he does not intend to intervene in the judicial process by suspending the prosecution, marking a development in the case related to Nicolaou’s 2005 death in Limassol.
The decision allows the case that began on 9 December before Limassol District Court to proceed unobstructed, after Savvides had previously stated he would not bring prosecutions himself but would not block the family from doing so.
Andriana Klaedes, lawyer for Christakis Kapiliotis, had written to the Attorney General on 8 December requesting suspension of her client’s prosecution. Kapiliotis was head of Lania police station when it was assigned to investigate the circumstances of Nicolaou’s death.
Klaidou cited positions taken by Deputy Attorney General Savvas Angelides, who had told the family’s lawyers that intentional neglect of official duty could not be proven when they requested the Law Office prosecute the case instead of the family pursuing private charges.
After receiving Klaede’s letter, Savvides sought the views of the family’s lawyers, Savvas Matsas and Nikos Clerides, before making his decision. The ruling definitively closes the door to suspension and signals the Attorney General’s position if the other four defendants submit similar requests.
Savvides had stated that due to the long time since Nicolaou’s death and the testimony available, he would not proceed with prosecutions himself. However, he made clear he would not suspend private prosecutions brought by the family.
The four other defendants are forensic pathologist Panikos Stavrianos, former Limassol police director Andreas Iatropoulos, former Limassol TAE head Nikos Sofocleous and former Rural head Christakis Nathanael.