The former president of the Cyprus Bar Association has confirmed that he received material related to the Sandy case during his tenure, and that he urged a police complaint be filed at the time.
The complaint was never made. He now warns that the ongoing delay in acting on the case risks the destruction of evidence.
Sandy is the woman at the centre of sexual abuse and corruption allegations made public by Volt parliamentary candidate and investigative journalist Makarios Drousiotis in a lengthy social media post last week. Drousiotis alleged the existence of an organised network involving current and former officials, judges and political figures, with Sandy presented as a key witness.
Former Supreme Court judge Michalakis Christodoulou has acknowledged knowing Sandy, saying he met her between 2020 and 2021 and characterised his role in her life as supportive. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. All those named in the Drousiotis allegations have rejected them.
Christos Clerides told Philenews that lawyer Nikos Clerides brought him the material while he was serving as Bar Association president, and that he immediately urged him to report the matter to police as it raised issues involving potential criminal offences. “We referred Nikos to the police. He had told me he would do so. In the end they did not go to the police,” he said.
Nikos Clerides later told him he had not gone to police because he feared for their safety. Christos Clerides said he had no authority to act unilaterally as Bar Association president and had expected the complaint to be filed first, after which he intended to raise the matter before the competent bodies. “I believe we could not do anything. It was a matter for investigation by the competent authorities,” he said.
The material Clerides received related to serious allegations. “I was shocked. Judges were involved, processes related to the issuing of decisions, matters of bribery and other very serious allegations which needed to be investigated by the police,” he said. He added that the core allegations subsequently made public by Drousiotis had already been raised at that time.
Clerides expressed hope that the state will provide Sandy with the necessary protection to enable her to testify and allow the case to be clarified. “For me it is unacceptable, in the 21st century, for there to be a witness with evidence who does not testify because they fear for their safety. It means we do not have a state,” he said.
“Everyone will say they covered up the case. It must definitely be clarified,” he said.
The state, Clerides argued, should have already issued search warrants, seized computers and retrieved any relevant material held by Cyta. The Council of Ministers should have already met and appointed independent criminal investigators. He suggested bringing someone from Britain with experience in such matters to avoid any impression of bias.
All allegations in this piece are unverified claims attributed to Christos Clerides and previously reported sources. The individuals referred to in the material he describes have not had the opportunity to respond to the specific claims outlined here.
He also warned that the ongoing delay risks the destruction of evidence.
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