Newsroom
One of Cyprus' most talked-about legal cases is now heading to court.
The attorney general's office announced on Friday that it has filed a criminal case against two individuals in connection with the so-called "Santi" case, after reviewing evidence submitted by police at the end of June.
According to information, the two defendants are journalist and author Makarios Drousiotis and the man known publicly as "Santi."
101 charges
The indictment contains 101 criminal charges, including allegations of:
- Preparing forged documents
- Circulating forged documents
- Publishing false information
- Harassment
The case will be heard before the Nicosia Criminal Court.
The legal service said the decision to proceed came after examining the police file, which was submitted on June 30.
Drousiotis hits back
Shortly after news of the indictment became public, Drousiotis responded in a post on X, saying he had been charged with knowingly and maliciously publishing false messages.
He claimed the prosecution was politically motivated and described it as "a distraction" from the Videogate case and "a helping hand" to former President Nicos Anastasiades.
Drousiotis also argued that the legal service was targeting him because he is a witness in another high-profile case linked to allegations surrounding what he has previously described as a "Mafia State."
He further criticized Attorney General George Savvides and Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides, alleging a conflict of interest because they are mentioned in his publications and in messages linked to the "Santi" case.
"In Nikos Christodoulides' Cyprus, investigative journalism is dragged into criminal courts," Drousiotis wrote, ending his post by saying the rule of law had been reduced to "Tartarus."
The case now moves to court
The attorney general's announcement did not comment on Drousiotis' claims, focusing instead on confirming that criminal proceedings had been filed.
With the indictment now registered, the case will move before the Nicosia Criminal Court, where the evidence against the two defendants will be examined.
As with all criminal proceedings, the charges remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by the court.
