Paphos, Cyprus. The trial of suspended Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos, who faces charges including rape and domestic abuse, is due to begin on Monday behind closed doors. Phedonos has pleaded not guilty to all five charges.
Closed hearings
Paphos criminal court chief justice Lia Markou announced on July 16 that the proceedings would be held in private.
Under the ruling, publication of any minutes from the forthcoming proceedings is prohibited.
The next five hearings are scheduled to take place on consecutive days from July 27 to July 31, starting at 9am.
Charges and allegations
Phedonos was charged with five offences last month, including rape, indecent assault, actual bodily harm, and administering a substance capable of intoxicating or neutralising another person’s resistance.
Allegations of domestic abuse emerged after social media personality Ioanna Photiou, known as Annie Alexui, said she held documents relating to admissions of Phedonos’ wife, Louiza Andreou, to Nicosia general hospital in 2017. The documents reportedly stated that Andreou had been “beaten” by Phedonos.
Andreou has denied all accusations against her husband, saying in a social media post that her family was being subjected to a coordinated attack.
The rape allegation emerged in February, when Paphos-based land developer Theodoros Aristodemou of Aristo Developers accused Phedonos of committing the offence around 10 years earlier and subsequently gave a statement to police.
Suspension from office
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou suspended Phedonos from his post as mayor shortly after the accusations were made.
Since the suspension, Phedonos has received one-third of his mayoral salary from the state. Angelos Onisiforou has been serving as acting mayor of Paphos.