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Proceedings connected to the private criminal prosecutions initiated by the family of Thanasis Nikolaou returned on Thursday morning to the Limassol District Court, where procedural issues took center stage. Chief among them were delays in the disclosure of evidence to the defense and the preliminary objections expected to be raised on behalf of the five accused.
The case, which concerns alleged offenses dating back to 2005, involves a total of 39 charges. These include conspiracy to obstruct justice, failure to perform official duties, issuing false official documents, perjury, providing misleading information, tampering with evidence, and interference in judicial processes. The court stressed that, due to the age and seriousness of the allegations, the matter would be given priority.
Appearing before the court for a second time were forensic pathologist Panikos Stavrianos, former Limassol police chief Andreas Iatropoulos, former head of the Limassol CID Nikos Sofokleous, former rural policing supervisor Christakis Nathanael, and former Lania police station commander Christakis Kapiliotis. Kapiliotis attended without legal representation and spoke on his own behalf.
Defense lawyers argued that the legally prescribed deadline for disclosure had already passed and that they had yet to receive the evidentiary material needed to prepare their case. They emphasized that access to the full record is essential for their planned preliminary objections, including challenges to the role of the family’s legal representative, Savvas Matsas, who previously acted as an independent criminal investigator in the Nikolaou case.
The defense also complained of reputational harm to their clients, alleging that public statements by the family and their lawyer had unfairly portrayed the accused in the media. They characterized the proceedings as excessive and abusive, pointing to what they described as persistent and inappropriate accusations.
In response, Matsas told the court that the case file is extensive, amounting to approximately 5,500 pages. He explained that significant effort was required to separate material specifically relevant to the accused and stated that he was prepared to submit part of the evidence immediately. This proposal was rejected by the defense, which insisted on receiving the complete file rather than a selective disclosure.
The court ultimately ruled that all evidentiary material must be handed over in full. Defense lawyers will receive the documents in digital format, while Kapiliotis will be provided with printed copies. The deadline for delivery was set at ten days.
In addition, the court asked both sides to identify any facts that could be accepted without dispute and scheduled the next hearing for 19 February. On that date, the defense is expected to file written arguments addressing their preliminary objections and issues related to the right to a fair trial.
