Search warrant issued for lawyer Nikos Clerides

Police have issued a search warrant for the home and office of lawyer Nikos Clerides, seizing evidence as part of an ongoing investigation, prompting a strong reaction from former Bar Association president Christos Clerides, who accused authorities of acting in a manner akin to “terrorism”.

Speaking to Reporter, Christos Clerides criticised the authorities for failing to appoint independent criminal investigators, arguing that this leaves the police in control of the process despite being the subject of scrutiny.

He also questioned why similar search warrants had not been issued for a woman referred to as “Sandy” and former supreme court judge Michalakis Christodoulou.

According to Clerides, police have already seized Nikos Clerides’ mobile phone, while a search of his office was ongoing to collect further evidence, including USB devices which, he suggested, could contain material relating to other cases.

“Cyprus has become a dictatorship,” he told Reporter, adding that the USB devices in question effectively contain material he himself had already handed over to police.

He further claimed that the purpose of the warrant was to intimidate and influence public opinion, alleging it was intended to create the impression that the claims under investigation are unfounded.

He reiterated concerns over what he described as selective action by authorities, asking whether warrants had been issued for all individuals named in the case.

“Have they issued warrants for everyone mentioned, and without independent criminal investigators so they can retain control themselves?” he asked.

In a separate development, journalist and parliamentary candidate Makarios Drousiotis weighed in on the case in a social media post on Saturday, referring to the so-called “Sandy” affair and the police raid on Clerides’ home.

Drousiotis alleged that the presidential palace was seeking to destroy evidence linked to the “Sandy” case. He claimed that messages – purportedly sent by the woman known as “Sandy” – indicating she had been employed at the presidential palace were at the centre of concerns, and shared what he said were the relevant communications in his post.