Maronas cross-examination names deputy police chief in Zavrantonas case

Local CrimedrugsTop Newstrial Maronas cross-examination names deputy police chief in Zavrantonas case Zavr1 Relevant News Maronas cross-examination names deputy police chief in Zavrantonas case 17 July 2026 Five police investigators to support “Mafia State” inquiry 17 July 2026 Cyprus orders deportation of Syrians over Xylofagou violence 17 July 2026 Fanis Makrides 17 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The high-profile case involving 15 kilograms of cocaine, and defendant Giorgos Christodoulou-Zavrantonas reached its most decisive point yesterday. Yiannis Andreou, known as “Maronas,” testified under oath. Andreou had fully taken responsibility for the disputed drug quantity in 2019, but later, after his conviction and 16-year sentence, changed his testimony and named Zavrantonas as the “mastermind” and major drug trafficker behind it. Zavrantonas had been sentenced to 22 years in December 2022, but the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial last May, citing the composition of the trial court. Cross-examination begins Maronas gave sworn testimony at the Criminal Court yesterday, which will continue this morning and is expected to be decisive for the court’s final verdict. During cross-examination, the defence sought to show that Andreou’s change of position years earlier was not driven by pure motives, raising several third parties in the process. These included Giorgos Fenek, who was the target of a criminal act; Zavrantonas’s ex-wife, questioned about her relationship with Maronas; the current deputy police chief, Panikos Stavrou; and others including Yiannis Kalopsidiotis. Interventions from prosecution and bench Zavrantonas’s defence lawyer, Christos Poutziouris, cross-examined the witness at length. Maronas maintained he had no benefit from his current testimony and, in several instances, answered questions with questions of his own, telling the lawyer to seek answers from others. Andreou also responded to some questions with humour, which he attributed to the nature of the questions he was being asked. Prosecution representative Vasilis Bissas intervened repeatedly, noting on at least two occasions that questions about the witness protection programme could only be answered in closed session. On another occasion, Bissas pointed out that Poutziouris was not putting a question but seeking the witness’s opinion, prompting Poutziouris to withdraw and rephrase. Zavrantonas himself intervened discreetly but noticeably at several points during the testimony, flagging issues in Maronas’s evidence to his lawyer that he considered problematic. Poutziouris showed visible irritation at these interventions, telling Zavrantonas to let him conduct the cross-examination his own way. The presiding judge of the three-member court, Lefteris Pantelis, also intervened repeatedly, keeping tight control of proceedings and insisting on procedural rules. At points, he told the witness not to answer with a vague “yes,” but to give specific answers to the questions asked. Poutziouris’s defence line The defence’s central position, previewed at an earlier hearing, is that Andreou changed his original testimony to implicate Zavrantonas after securing a prior promise of release in exchange for testimony leading to a conviction. Poutziouris submitted documents relating to Maronas’s pardon to support this argument, telling him “your testimony was fabricated so you could be released.” Poutziouris argued through his questions that police look after Andreou without any obligation to do so, that Andreou returned to the Republic before the two years required under his protection programme had elapsed, that he committed a criminal act involving gunfire and a grenade attack on a businessman’s property, and that police cleared him of responsibility so he could testify again against Zavrantonas. Poutziouris further suggested Maronas was acting vindictively against Zavrantonas while involved with another criminal group. On several occasions, Poutziouris told the witness he was lying. Maronas, often smiling, responded to some of these accusations: “that’s not how it is, Mr Poutziouris, and even if that were true…” The key points While the Criminal Court will assess the testimony itself, several points from the cross-examination stood out. Maronas has a new identity under a different name, entered the witness protection programme, and received a presidential pardon on condition he not return to Cyprus within two years, along with a payment of 10,000 euros, all confirmed during yesterday’s proceedings. When Poutziouris pointed out that Maronas had been staying in Kormakitis, in the occupied north, rather than abroad, Maronas replied that he did not consider his village to be Republic territory and that he feels safe there. Poutziouris put to Maronas that he had falsely testified to collecting the drugs from Klavdia, where he claimed Zavrantonas had previously placed them, pointing out that a CYTA mobile antenna had not picked up his signal there, and noting references matching an earlier case linked to a man known as “Mariouthkias,” who was later murdered. Poutziouris showed Maronas his own written statement, in which a reference to passing through the Rizoelia roundabout to collect the drugs had been struck out and corrected to the Kalo Chorio roundabout, and put to him that he had lied initially before making that correction only after learning of another witness’s statement. Maronas insisted on the accuracy of his account saying, “I know very well where I went” When Maronas said he was one of Zavrantonas’s men, Poutziouris said “you’re Fenek’s right-hand man in the work he does.” Maronas declined to comment further on Fenek, saying, “I’m a witness, not a lawyer,” and suggested the lawyer summon Fenek directly if he wanted answers about him. Poutziouris put to Andreou that police had warned him on several occasions of criminal threats against him and his family. Andreou said police continue to warn him, even recently, that he is in danger from Zavrantonas, which is why he stays in Kormakitis. Poutziouris suggested this showed police were pressuring him into his current testimony; Maronas rejected this, saying, “I’m a free man.” Poutziouris also questioned Maronas about his claim that his mother’s grave had been desecrated to intimidate him. Maronas said he did not believe Zavrantonas had done this personally, but attributed it to people sent by him, and suggested Poutziouris ask his own client, who he said visits his mother’s grave daily. Poutziouris submitted to the court an arrest warrant issued against Maronas over the gunfire and grenade attack on the property of a businessman identified only by the initials G.R., noting the offence occurred during a period when Maronas was supposed to be abroad. He put to Maronas that, according to the allegations, he had extorted the businessman for a sum of money. Poutziouris said there was information that the businessman had held a meeting in deputy police chief Panikos Stavrou’s office at the same time Maronas received a phone call; Maronas said he had no knowledge of this. At another point, Poutziouris told Maronas the defence’s position was that his testimony was tainted and rigged to secure his release. Andreou replied that he was a free man and continued to tell the truth. Poutziouris responded that if Maronas did not give false testimony to convict the defendant, he would be arrested and imprisoned, repeating that his testimony was rigged. Poutziouris also put to the witness that police granted him every favour. Maronas responded by referencing his own outstanding arrest warrant over the shooting case, asking “if they granted my wishes, would they have issued an arrest warrant against me?” Poutziouris presented a Facebook post Maronas had written around the time evidence was being built against Zavrantonas, in which he had written “sometimes you have to play the fool to fool the fool who’s fooling you.” He also presented a photograph showing Maronas making an obscene gesture at the camera alongside Yiannis Kalopsidiotis and a third man identified only as “Andrikkis.” Maronas denied the gesture was directed at Zavrantonas, saying “it’s just Facebook! You’ll make us famous too, Mr Poutziouris.” Regarding Kalopsidiotis, Maronas remarked that it was Zavrantonas who had introduced them. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Five police investigators to support “Mafia State” inquiry Cyprus orders deportation of Syrians over Xylofagou violence Customs seize 7kg of tobacco at unlicensed Limassol restaurant Police arrest 47 in illegal employment crackdown Where is the line on cat shootings? “Sooner or later a human will be shot” Cyprus rejects Congolese woman’s asylum bid over homicide, rape claims Yellow warning: temperatures to hit 40 degrees Friday Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.