Nicosia, Cyprus. Lawyer Nikos Clerides filed an application before the supreme court on Tuesday seeking to annul a search warrant issued for his home. Clerides said the request was based on what he described as substantive legal errors in the lower court decision.
Application to void warrant
Clerides said outside the court that his legal team identified multiple legal points in which, he claimed, the court of first instance erred. He also alleged that the police affidavit supporting the warrant contained “too many gaps and deliberate errors”.
The petition was filed as a certiorari, an order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court, and seeks to have the warrant annulled, effectively rendering it void from the outset.
Potential impact on seized material
If the court accepts the argument, any material obtained during the search of Clerides’ home and office would be inadmissible as evidence and would have to be returned.
Clerides said his legal team is awaiting notification of a hearing date through the electronic justice system. He said he hoped the date would be set within the next few days and expressed confidence that the court would assess the arguments “fairly and correctly”.
Background to the investigation
The case centres on a controversial investigation tied to allegations publicised by journalist Makarios Drousiotis, involving a woman referred to as “Sandy” and claims implicating prominent figures.
Authorities executed the search warrant earlier this month, seizing phones, laptops, USB devices and documents from Clerides’ premises as part of an ongoing inquiry.
A central point of dispute in recent days has been the authenticity of material circulating publicly, including messages and photographs attributed to the case.
What do you think the supreme court’s decision could mean for evidence collected during the search?
