Loukis Loucaides denies embezzlement charges at Limassol court

Limassol, Cyprus. Loukis Loucaides, the former deputy attorney general, entered a not-guilty plea on Tuesday to embezzlement charges involving property valued at €117,000. His next hearing is scheduled for February 9, 2027.

Charges and estate complaint

Loucaides appeared at the Limassol criminal court, where he faced charges of money laundering and theft by proxy linked to compensation for the expropriation of property belonging to a woman who had died.

The estate administrator lodged a complaint in July last year concerning €177,108.12. According to the complaint, Loucaides received the expropriation payment from Limassol municipality but did not pass it on to the administrator.

Loucaides held the post of deputy attorney-general between 1975 and 1998 before subsequently serving as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, characterised the indictment as malicious and maintained that he committed no crime.

Dispute over expropriation compensation

In Loucaides’ account, the matter began in 2008, when the administrator managing the estate at that time instructed him to bring proceedings against the municipality. He said compensation had not been paid after the woman’s home was demolished to allow construction of a road.

A district court rejected the claim initially. Following an appeal by Loucaides, the court of appeals directed the municipality to reach an out-of-court settlement, which he negotiated for his client.

Loucaides has maintained that, after the agreement was reached, he accepted the payment with the intention of passing it to his client. However, he said the estate administrator had changed by then and could not be located.

A replacement administrator was appointed last year. Loucaides said he was subsequently contacted and asked to transfer the money. He maintained that he offered in writing to do so but received no response.