Investigative journalist and author Makarios Drousiotis said "it turns out I am not a slanderer," in his first public reaction since the Anti-Corruption Authority published its findings on his book "Mafia State." Speaking on the Sigma television channel, Drousiotis said his reporting had been vindicated, while pointedly suggesting that the full scope of the case has yet to come to light.
The Authority's findings, made public on 16 June 2026, identified possible criminal offences by 13 individuals and two legal entities linked to allegations in Drousiotis's book, including former President Nikos Anastasiades, his law firm, and several former senior officials. AKEL has since called for the resignation of the Attorney General and his deputy, arguing they cannot impartially handle a case touching their former political patron, while former MOKAS head Eva Rossidou-Papakyriakou has disputed the parts of the findings concerning her own conduct.
Drousiotis said he himself was not surprised by the findings, noting that these were issues he had already documented in his book. "We still have some way to go," he said. "I wasn't surprised by the findings. I wrote them, and I wasn't in shock, unlike some others."
Drousiotis described the last four years as a difficult and painful period, citing a series of legal proceedings brought against him by Nikos Anastasiades and those around him, with damages claims that, he said, now exceed €6 million. He argued that the high sums sought were not accidental, but part of a process of financial and psychological exhaustion.
"I am satisfied because Mr Anastasiades chose four points from my book to take action against me over, and for all four there is evidence from the Anti-Corruption Authority," he said. He added that every court appearance comes at a cost, noting that, facing people of considerable financial means, he finds himself "alone, with one lawyer," to defend himself.
He also addressed the powers of the Anti-Corruption Authority specifically, arguing that its officers lacked investigative powers. In his view, had such powers existed, far more evidence could have been uncovered. "What I wrote was the tip of the iceberg," he said.
The journalist also said he believed there was significant material within the roughly 3,000 pages of the findings, stressing that what had been made public was not the full report but an announcement summarising it. He argued that the entire report should be published, citing comparable precedents such as the findings on the Takata airbag scandal and on the collapse of the Cooperative Bank, which were made public despite including references to possible criminal liability.
Asked when he would truly feel vindicated, Drousiotis said the issue was not limited to his own personal vindication. He said he is convinced that billions of euros left Cyprus as a result of corruption, and that he would feel satisfied if that money were returned to the country.
