The court has delivered its ruling in one of Cyprus’ most high-profile cases in recent years. Former Commissioner for Volunteerism, Yiannakis Yiannaki, was given a sentence of three years in prison without suspension and will now serve his term at the Central Prisons.
During sentencing, the judge noted that the defendant had admitted to three charges, including the circulation of a forged school diploma submitted to the Cyprus Youth Organisation and bearing forged seals of the Ministry of Education.
The court heard evidence from 13 witnesses. It was noted that Yiannakis had no prior convictions, while the offences dated back nearly three decades. The judge emphasised both the seriousness of the crimes and the mitigating factors, including his eventual guilty plea, clean record, age, the time that had elapsed since the offences, and an apology submitted by his lawyer.
However, the court stressed that Giannakis had deceived the authorities and benefitted for over 30 years by drawing salaries and securing his position at the expense of other candidates. This long-term advantage was considered an aggravating factor.
The judge also criticised the systemic failure of the authorities to conduct proper checks, describing it as a form of negligence, but said this did not diminish the defendant’s culpability.
The offences were committed in 1995, but the complaint was only lodged in 2021. “This was not a careless mistake- he profited for many years,” the judge said, adding there were no grounds to suspend the sentence.
The Yiannaki prison sentence closes a case that has been closely watched by the public for years, marking a rare example of a senior official facing jail time for forgery and deception.
Also read: Judge rejects Yiannaki’s recusal request citing lack of valid grounds
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