**Letters Reveal Anastasiades Aware of Katsounotos Allegations Prior to Formal Complaint**
Recent court documents have disclosed that former President Nicos Anastasiades was informed about allegations involving Deputy Police Chief Michalis Katsounotos before the case was officially reported. This information comes from letters dated April and May 2022, which are part of a larger set of 392 documents currently under scrutiny in a trial concerning alleged misconduct related to central prison documents.
The letters indicate that Anastasiades received information regarding Katsounotos’ communications with a convicted prisoner and allegations that he sought compromising material against former Prisons Director Anna Aristotelous and her deputy, Athena Demetriou. These communications raised significant concerns about Katsounotos’ conduct while he was the head of the police drug squad.
Despite the information presented in the letters, Anastasiades publicly denied having prior knowledge of the allegations when they surfaced. Following media reports in June 2022 suggesting he was aware of the situation, he labeled these claims as “fake news” and expressed frustration over what he described as the “fake news of some inventive journalists.” He later stated that once he was informed about the matter, he directed the Justice Minister and the Chief of Police to take appropriate action.
The formal complaint against Katsounotos was lodged in June 2022, shortly after Aristotelous reported that he had been in contact with a convicted prisoner and was allegedly attempting to gather damaging information about her and Demetriou. In response to the allegations, Katsounotos was suspended pending an independent criminal investigation led by lawyer Achilleas Emilianides.
The investigation, which concluded in September 2022, examined whether Katsounotos and the prisoner had committed any criminal offences. The Attorney General’s office later announced in December that there was insufficient evidence to prove corrupt actions or personal gain on Katsounotos’ part. However, the investigation did suggest that he may have abused his authority and engaged in conspiracy, leading to a decision against criminal prosecution on the grounds of public interest. The findings were subsequently referred for potential disciplinary action.
According to the legal service, Katsounotos had been investigating possible criminal activities within the prison system and had prepared reports for police leadership. The investigation revealed that he had received information about videos that could potentially compromise prison officials, including footage related to drug activities. Allegations against him included messages that indicated a desire to obtain videos that would “hurt” Aristotelous and requests to the prisoner for material before her release.
The prosecution has contested the defense's access to the disputed documents, citing concerns over public interest and confidentiality. However, the court ruled that the defense should have access to the material, including documents that may have been publicly available or inadvertently shared without redaction. The court was informed that the documents contained excerpts from messages, allegations of attempted bribery, and claims regarding efforts to gather evidence against the prisons’ directorate.
While Katsounotos was not prosecuted in connection with the 2022 allegations, his disciplinary case remains unresolved following the legal service's verdict. The allegations against him also include his handling of a separate incident during his tenure as head of Limassol traffic police. This incident involved the tragic death of 17-year-old Andreas Loizou at the Mouttayiaka underpass in Limassol in 2012, which led to accusations of a cover-up involving the daughter of a high-ranking politician. Authorities attributed the absence of records related to this case to “technical difficulties,” and no charges were filed.
The ongoing developments in the Katsounotos case highlight significant concerns regarding police conduct and oversight within the Cypriot justice system. As the trial progresses, the implications of the letters and the surrounding allegations will likely continue to attract public and media attention.