Nicosia, Cyprus. Police denied that an arrest warrant was issued against journalist Makarios Drousiotis in connection with an ongoing case linked to complaints he has made publicly. The denial followed media reports and allegations circulated online.
Police statement on reports
In a statement issued on Monday, police said that “such a warrant was never issued and therefore, these reports do not correspond to reality.”
Police said the clarification was necessary “to avoid misleading public opinion and creating false impressions” regarding the actions of the authorities and the procedures followed in the case. They added that “the competent authorities act exclusively within the framework of the prescribed institutional procedures and on the basis of the data of each case.”
Drousiotis allegations
The statement followed a social media post by Drousiotis in which he claimed police had prepared an arrest warrant against him in mid-April following “political guidance from the Presidential Palace.”
Drousiotis alleged that details of the supposed warrant and an indictment had been leaked to the press. He also claimed that Diko president Nikolas Papadopoulos had publicly called for his punishment over what were described as false reports.
He further alleged that authorities later withdrew from pursuing the matter because they feared public reaction, while also accusing former president Nicos Anastasiades of influencing events “from behind the scenes.”
Link to the ‘Sandy’ case
The controversy is linked to allegations made by Drousiotis in the so called ‘Sandy’ case, which involves claims against several public figures.
According to previous reports, Drousiotis alleged that a woman identified only as ‘Sandy’ had been raped and stabbed by former Supreme Court judge Michalakis Christodoulou and that he had fathered three of her children.
Christodoulou has rejected the allegations and said he had merely “acted like a father” to the woman.
What do you think should be done to prevent misinformation from spreading during ongoing investigations?
