It may be considered that the significant aspect of Makarios Drousiotis’ allegations regarding the 'Sandy' case has closed, however there are still three important aspects which, undoubtedly, will continue to be of concern in the coming period. The first concerns the issues that were not answered in what was stated at last Wednesday’s press conference by the Chief of Police Themistos Arnaoutis and the Police spokesperson Vyras Vyrvanos. The second aspect concerns the criminal investigation that began following instructions from the Legal Service, and is directed against those who were involved in the creation and dissemination of the messages that were shown by the police investigation to be false and fabricated. The third aspect that will occupy attention is the lawsuits filed against Makarios Drousiotis by the individuals who were named in his post in relation to the 'Sandy' case.
Regarding the unanswered questions that arose after the Police briefing, there is an assessment that at least some of them will be answered after the completion of the criminal investigation. This is because there are issues that could not possibly be stated publicly during the Police press conference, as they relate to the ongoing criminal investigation. In particular, the issue of 'Sandy’s' motive and whether all the messages were constructed on her own initiative must be clarified upon completion of the investigations.
For the criminal investigation and the offences of creating and disseminating false news, certain individuals have already been called to give interrogative statements. The fact that these are interrogations means that these individuals are considered suspects in relation to the criminal offences under investigation. The Police investigative team, upon completion of the criminal investigation, will submit the file to the Legal Service, where decisions will be taken on whether or not to proceed with criminal prosecution.
As for the final aspect, the lawsuits filed against Makarios Drousiotis, civil proceedings are already underway, with those affected claiming large amounts in compensation.
The answers and the file
Criminal lawyer Elias Stefanou, speaking on Politis radio and the programme Morning Briefing, stated that it is logical for questions to remain unanswered publicly, as it is not possible to cover all aspects of such a complex case in a single briefing. As he said, the critical point is that documented answers exist within the case file.
Commenting on the issue of motive, regarding the question of the motive of the woman at the centre of the case, he acknowledged that this is one of the questions that reasonably concern the public and could be clarified further for reasons of transparency. However, he stressed that the most important element emerging from the investigation is that the main claims appear to have been examined through independent evidence and not merely through the accounts of the individuals involved. As he explained, independent evidence may arise from scientific findings, material evidence or testimonies of third parties that confirm or refute the disputed claims. "A claim by one person is not enough. It must be confirmed or rejected by other evidence," he noted.
Political conspiracy
Dimitris Papadakis, in a written statement following the Police announcements, said that "the result of the investigations, regarding the fabricated messages, comes as no surprise."
"From the very first moment I declared that the messages concerning me were fabricated and had no relation to reality. Unfortunately, I fell victim to a major political conspiracy, the ramifications of which must be fully investigated. For me, what matters most is the protection of my personal dignity and my name from this entire scheme. I will insist to the end on a full investigation of the case so that all those involved are identified, all those behind the idea as well as the construction of the messages and those who deliberately involved my name in this scheme. We expect further Police investigations in this direction," he stressed.
In conclusion, he stated that he is already "in communication with his lawyers in order to initiate all legal procedures against Makarios Drousiotis, as well as against any person identified as being behind this plot."
