Nicosia, Cyprus. The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its decision on an application by lawyer Nikos Clerides to annul a search warrant executed at his home, office and vehicle as part of the ‘Sandy’ investigation. The case comes as Clerides raised questions about police findings that concluded the allegations in the matter were fabricated.
Challenge to search warrant
The application before the Supreme Court challenges the legality of the search warrant obtained by police during their investigation into claims publicised by journalist Makarios Drousiotis concerning alleged corruption, abuse, blackmail and interference involving prominent figures in Cyprus.
Alexandros Clerides, representing Nikos Clerides, argued that the issue before the court was not what investigators did after executing the warrant, but whether the warrant itself had been lawfully issued and enforced.
Court hearing arguments
The court said investigators had been instructed from the outset not to access private communications that may have been contained on seized devices and that no processing of the content had taken place.
Alexandros Clerides disputed the relevance of that argument, saying the constitutional issue concerned the warrant itself and the police entry onto the premises.
Following the hearing, he said the court must examine the application on its merits despite the absence of an objection from the attorney-general.
Police findings in the ‘Sandy’ case
The legal challenge comes a day after police chief Themistos Arnaoutis presented findings into allegations made public through reports connected to the woman known as ‘Sandy’.
Police said no evidence supported the serious criminal allegations levelled against individuals named in the affair and stated that witness testimony, forensic examinations and documentary evidence contradicted the claims.
Clerides response
In response to the police findings, Nikos Clerides questioned key aspects of the investigation and argued that independent criminal investigators should have been appointed.
He said the messages he received from ‘Sandy’ were dated 2020 and 2021, while the mobile phone examined by investigators related to the period 2025 and 2026.
