A legal opinion has ended the scrutiny surrounding €52,000 raised from the public by journalist and author Makarios Drousiotis. Police sources told Politis that the initiative did not breach existing legislation or amount to a criminal offence.
How the inquiry began
The process began when the Interior Ministry forwarded a letter from the chairman of the Pan-Cyprian Fundraising Licensing Authority to police.
The letter asked officers to examine whether the crowdfunding initiative was compatible with existing legislation.
Police subsequently sought a legal opinion from the Legal Service. According to the same sources, the opinion concluded that no criminal offence arose from the initiative.
Reaction to the investigation
The inquiry prompted reactions, with Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou publicly rejecting claims that authorities intended to prosecute or “destroy” Drousiotis.
Ioannou said the competent authority was obliged to refer the matter to police once it became aware of the fundraising campaign.
He also said no prosecution would follow if the inquiry determined that the initiative did not fall within the provisions of the law.
According to information obtained by Politis, this is the conclusion reached by the Legal Service.
