Key witness Andreou testifies today in Zavrantonas cocaine retrial

Local CrimedrugsTop Newstrial Key witness Andreou testifies today in Zavrantonas cocaine retrial Zavrantonas Police Relevant News Key witness Andreou testifies today in Zavrantonas cocaine retrial 16 July 2026 Justice Minister targets sick leave abuse with new bill 16 July 2026 Police seize weapons and ammunition from Larnaca house, suspect wanted 16 July 2026 newsroom 16 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Main prosecution witness Giannis Andreou is due before the Permanent Assize Court of Nicosia today to testify under oath. He is the key witness in the retrial of Giorgos Christodoulou-Zavrantonas, who is accused of possessing 15 kilos of cocaine with intent to supply. Prosecution representative Vasilis Bissas had previously announced Andreou’s appearance. It was on the basis of Andreou’s testimony that the court originally convicted Zavrantonas and sentenced him to 22 years in prison, a ruling later overturned on appeal. The Court of Appeal, on May 11, 2026, accepted one of the grounds of appeal raised by Zavrantonas’s lawyer, concerning the composition of the Assize Court that heard the case at first instance. The case dates back to January 2019. The court convicted Zavrantonas on December 12, 2022, and sentenced him to 22 years over the cocaine at the centre of the case. The Anti-Drugs Unit found the drugs in January 2019 in Lakatamia. Giannis Andreou, known as “Maronas,” and Aristos Kyprianou were initially convicted in July 2019 and sentenced to 16 and 8 years respectively. Andreou later gave a new testimony naming Zavrantonas as the mastermind behind the operation. Authorities then filed a case against Zavrantonas, leading to his conviction, which the Court of Appeal overturned this past May. At a previous hearing in the case, Christos Poutziouris, defence lawyer for Zavrantonas, raised the issue of Andreou’s inclusion in a witness protection programme. According to Poutziouris, Andreou was released from his 16-year sentence in early 2023 under a presidential pardon, on condition that he not return to Cyprus for a specific period. Poutziouris claimed that this condition was not observed, alleging that Andreou had been a suspect in an incident involving a grenade thrown and shots fired at a businessman’s premises. The Permanent Assize Court C’ of Nicosia hearing the case is composed of Lefteris Pantelis, President of the District Court, Marilena Theoklitou, Senior District Judge, and Konstantinos Markos Pasiardis, District Judge. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Justice Minister targets sick leave abuse with new bill Police seize weapons and ammunition from Larnaca house, suspect wanted Two vehicles catch fire after three-car crash outside Nicosia hospital Police arrest ten, fine 452 drivers in overnight crackdown Police arrest two more suspects over Xylophagou brawl Cyprus Police consider blocking radar-warning apps after EU Court ruling Cyprus builds Europe’s first sterile mosquito eradication lab Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.