Busy September as high-profile cases come to court
Five high-profile court cases are set to dominate the headlines in the upcoming weeks, ranging from the contentious golden passports trial, the fate of the auditor-general’s job and Thanasis Nicolaou.
With summer recess coming to an end, two monks facing money laundering charges in the Osiou Avakoum scandal will also be taking the stand, while the Supreme Constitutional Court will be ruling on the controversy surrounding capital statements for the attorney-general and his deputy.
The cases have topped the news cycle for months – years in some cases – and are seen as critical for the future of the country’s justice system and constitutional makeup.
Come September, a decision is expected for auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides, whose job currently hangs in the balance on the accusation that he has carried out his duties with inappropriate conduct.
The case was filed by attorney-general George Savvides who is seeking to have him dismissed. Should the full bench of the Supreme Constitutional Court overwhelmingly rule that Michaelides overstepped his remit, President Nikos Christodoulides will find himself having to put paper to pen and sign the auditor-general’s dismissal.
A date for the hearing has yet to be set, though a decision is expected in September.
Golden passport trial
On October 7, three defendants will appear before Nicosia criminal court over the Al Jazeera documentary embroiling former House president Demetris Syllouris, former Akel MP and developer Christakis Giovani and officer for the Giovani Group Antonis Antoniou in the golden passports scandal.
They face charges related to conspiracy to defraud the Republic and seeking to influence a public official.
The defendants were filmed agreeing to give a Chinese investor, who was in fact an undercover journalist, a Cypriot passport even though he was presented as a criminal.
Following nationwide fury and protests after the revelations, the Nicolatos investigation into the ‘golden passports programme’ was launched, and ultimately led to the case going to trial and the scheme being scrapped.
All charges against lawyer Andreas Pittadjis were dropped.
Thanasis Nicolaou
The contentious case over the murder of national guardsman Thanasis Nicolaou is also set to resume in September, after state pathologist Panicos Stavrianos filed for certiorari at the Supreme Court.
It seeks to annul the decision that ruled Nicolaou’s death a murder.
On September 10, the hearing will resume at the Supreme Court. Last time, the hearing was marred with accusations of conflicts of interest against the state legal services.
Lawyer for the family Nicos Clerides said the legal service clearly favoured Stavrianos, making it an impartial actor in the process.
Nicolaou was serving his national guard duty and was found dead under Alassa bridge on September 29, 2005, a day after reporting drug dealing at his unit.
Stavrianos ruled his death was a suicide however the family insisted for 19 years he was murdered.
The third inquiry into his death ruled Nicolaou was murdered by strangulation as a result of criminal activity.
Following the ruling, President Nikos Christodoulides appointed the two investigators saying the truth must finally shine over what happened to Nicolaou.
Osiou Avakoum
The religious scandal which rocked the church will go to trial at Nicosia criminal court on September 27.
Archimandrites Nektarios and Porfyrios face 19 charges including money laundering, theft, false tax declarations and seeking to influence a police investigation after a hoard of cash were found in their Fterikoudes monastery.
Their hearing begins on September 27.
Nektarios and Porfyrios were ordered to pay €100,000 and €50,00 bail, respectively, and submit all their travel documents.
The two men of the cloth will also appear before the ecclesiastical court, set to begin on August 30, which is expected to wrap mid-September.
Capital statements
After MPs in July voted to broaden the scope of who is required to submit capital statements – or asset declarations – attorney-general George Savvides and the deputy attorney-general are now also required to publish them.
Nonetheless, the legislation has been referred by the president to the Supreme Constitutional Court as it has been deemed unconstitutional.
The advisor to the state over legal matters is the attorney-general.
Capital statements seek to provide transparency by revealing whether elected or appointed officials increased their wealth unjustifiably while holding office.
The hearing is slated to take place on September 4.