Athena Demetriou lawyers reject prisoner contact claims
Law firm Pieters Cariolou LLC has issued a statement describing recent media reports as “new retaliation and an attempt to undermine the credibility and integrity” of former senior Central Prisons officer Athena Demetriou.
The statement says Ms Demetriou reported serious high-level corruption in 2022 and has since faced reprisals. Today’s “revelations” repeat unsubstantiated claims already investigated in 2022 by independent criminal investigator Achilleas Emilianides.
Mr Emilianides found nothing improper against Ms Demetriou and even recommended prosecuting a senior police officer for abuse of power and related offences, her lawyers said.
Despite this, certain individuals have recently tried to revive these baseless allegations through a convicted prisoner.
According to sworn statements submitted to the Attorney General in October, the prisoner had repeated contacts with senior police officers and visits to a senior prisons official’s office. Witnesses say she expressed willingness to cooperate with investigators and do whatever was asked to secure favourable treatment in her own cases.
Ms Demetriou has filed formal complaints and provided sworn statements documenting attempts to obtain false testimony against her, including pressure and offers of benefits to prisoners.
These documents were sent to the Attorney General with a request for investigation by an independent criminal investigator – a request that remains unanswered.
Since July 2025 Ms Demetriou has repeatedly asked for the Emilianides report and supporting evidence, both to exercise her legal rights and to benefit from protection under whistleblower law 6(I)/2022. Today the Law Office again refused to release the report.
Her lawyers also reject recent leaks that create a false impression. They stress the prisoner was never transferred outside the Central Prisons as some reports claimed – a fact many people can confirm.
They describe the targeting of their client as systematic because of her earlier corruption allegations. Seeking testimony under questionable conditions and using criminal procedure to exert pressure are practices incompatible with the rule of law, the European Convention on Human Rights and the fundamental protection of public-interest whistleblowers.
The statement concludes that Ms Demetriou has nothing to hide, the Emilianides report is available to the state, and the Legal Service should publish it immediately so the truth can emerge and the real extent of actions against her can be seen.
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