A second trial within a trial has commenced in the case against a 49-year-old German woman accused of selling Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north. This latest phase focuses on the statement she provided to police following her arrest in June last year.
- The next hearing is scheduled for November 5, marking a significant point in this ongoing legal saga.
The defence team had requested this trial within a trial after a previous one examined the circumstances surrounding her initial arrest and the seizure of her personal belongings. The defence argued that her arrest, alongside the search of her electronic devices and the confiscation of her luggage, was conducted illegally. The court agreed, deeming the evidence collected as unconstitutional and therefore inadmissible.
During Friday’s proceedings, prosecution lawyer Anna Mattheou expressed her disagreement with the court’s decision to initiate a second trial within a trial, requesting additional time to review the implications of this ruling.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 5, marking a significant point in this ongoing legal saga.
The woman’s arrest followed a conversation she had aboard a flight with Geadis Geadi, a member of the European Parliament from the party Elam. Prosecutors allege that during this exchange, she confessed to selling property that legally belongs to Greek Cypriots in the north.
Since the Republic of Cyprus began its legal actions against individuals accused of illegally dealing with Greek Cypriot-owned properties in the north, three people have already received jail sentences. In a notable recent case, Israeli property developer Simon Aykut was sentenced to five years in prison. His developments spanned an area of 394,969 square metres, valued at over €36 million.
Earlier in May, two Hungarian women received sentences of two and a half years and 15 months respectively after advertising the sale of properties in the north through social media and various websites.
