Eight respond to charges
On Tuesday, eight defendants appeared before the Nicosia Criminal Court in the case involving documents from Central Prisons, discovered in the home of a chief prison officer. All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges they face.
Defendants and charges
Among the accused are former Prison Director Anna Aristotelous, former Deputy Director Athina Demetriou, five prison staff members, and a former member who is now a police officer. They face nine charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, theft of state property covering 48,432 documents, theft of 370 architectural plans of the prison, and theft of 431 items, including digital discs and other electronic devices.
Anna Aristotelous faces an additional charge for allegedly allowing the leak of classified documents while holding the position of Director. Other charges relate to the misuse of authority involving the transfer of documents, plans, and digital data outside the prison to the chief officer’s home.
Legal proceedings and defense arguments
During Tuesday’s hearing, defence lawyers raised concerns over a fair trial, citing a breach of Article 7 of criminal procedure in relation to the handling and delivery of evidence by the prosecuting authority. Copies of all documents and evidence were provided to defence lawyers, except for classified documents and prison architectural plans, which do not carry formal classified markings.
Prosecutor Anna Matthaiou confirmed that on 6 March 2026, defence lawyers were notified electronically that copies of all documents and police contacts for material collection were prepared. The only outstanding item was the CCTV footage, which was made available to the defence on 10 March. Classified documents will not be handed over in full; their titles and classification will be shown while other content will be removed. Defence teams may inspect these documents at the CID Headquarters under police supervision.
Next steps
Lawyer Christos Triantafyllidis, representing Anna Aristotelous, requested a special hearing before the substantive trial to present detailed arguments regarding Article 7 and the right to a fair trial. Defence lawyers of the other accused, excluding the lawyer of the fifth defendant, supported this request. Lawyer Sotiris Argyrou, representing Athina Demetriou, emphasised procedural concerns and the defendant’s stance on the improper handling of the case by the prosecution.
The court scheduled the substantive hearing for 26 March 2026 at 9:00 am. The defendants remain free under existing bail conditions. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
Also read: Audit Office report on prisons: Overcrowding, security gaps, suspicious sick leaves
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