The police have requested an opinion from the Legal Service, regarding a letter it received from the Minister of the Interior concerning a possible illegal fundraiser organized by journalist Makarios Drousiotis.
It should be noted that Makarios Drousiotis, through crowdfunding—following his public appeal for financial support to cover his legal expenses in the wake of the “Sandy” and “State Mafia,” was able to raise over 52,000 euros in just three days.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Describing this money as “sacred,” Mr. Drousiotis noted in a post that the funds would be used exclusively for the purpose for which they were donated, while “to ensure full transparency and accountability, all accounts, receipts, and payments will be audited by a certified auditing firm, and the relevant financial report will be made public.”
Regarding this crowdfunding campaign, Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou had sent a letter to the police, requesting an investigation into whether any offense had been committed under the Fundraising Act, a move that sparked a storm of reactions.
Specifically, a few hours after the fundraising effort began, the Minister of the Interior instructed that a letter be sent to the police to investigate the matter.
“Under the law governing fundraisers, such an action is illegal, as there is a clear procedure whereby anyone wishing to conduct a fundraiser must submit an application to the fundraising committee, be evaluated, and a decision to approve or reject the request be made accordingly and under specific conditions.”
Konstantinos Ioannou – Ministry of the Interior
Makarios Drousiotis reacted immediately, reminding the Minister of the Interior that the crowdfunding method he was using did not fall under the relevant law. In other words, he explained that, in practice, he was doing what Nikos Christodoulides had done a few months before the 2023 presidential election.
“Nikos Christodoulides became president through crowdfunding and had me reported to the police for ‘illegal fundraising.’ They’re hounding me with the criminal code in hand. In progressive societies, crowdfunding is a very widespread method of supporting civil society initiatives. I did not conduct any fundraiser, and my case does not fall under the scope of the Fundraising Law.”
Makarios Drousiotis – Researcher/Journalist
As the journalist had in fact claimed, their goal is to destroy him by any means necessary.
In response to Makarios Drousiotis’s accusations, Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou issued a second post stating that “The Ministry of the Interior is not persecuting anyone and does not seek to destroy anyone”
“It came to the attention of the Ministry that a fundraising campaign is underway, which, at first glance, was deemed to fall under the provisions of the legislation governing fundraising campaigns. As required, the police were asked to investigate the matter. “If the investigation reveals that it does not fall under the provisions of the relevant legislation, no one will be prosecuted or charged.”
Konstantinos Ioannou – Minister of the Interior
Meanwhile, lawyer Simos Angelidis also weighed in on the matter, stating that the online campaign that was launched does not appear to fall under the definition of a fundraiser.
“Article 2 of the Law refers to a person who, through any means, including the internet, solicits financial assistance for specific purposes, such as charitable ones (…) This practice, which appears to be what is known as ‘crowdfunding’—at least as the law currently stands—does not seem to fall within the scope of the law’s interpretation.”
Simos Angelides – Lawyer
Furthermore, the Union of Journalists had also issued a statement in support of Makarios Drousiotis.
“The Cypriot justice system cannot strain at a gnat and swallow a camel! It cannot display inexcusable negligence and slowness in one instance and excessive haste and speed in another.”
Cyprus Journalists’ Union
As for the police, four days ago it became known that they are investigating whether the online fundraising campaign should have been conducted in accordance with the Ministry of the Interior’s procedures for fundraising campaigns. To conduct this investigation, however, the police, as they informed us today, turned to the Legal Service, which is expected to clarify whether Mr. Drousiotis’s fundraising campaign constitutes a fundraiser or not.
For now, however, the entire matter is on hold, pending the opinion expected from the Legal Service. Many, however, argued that the Minister of the Interior should perhaps have consulted the Legal Service himself, before sending a letter to the police requesting an investigation and before stating that, at first glance, the entire process appears to fall under the Fundraising Act and requires a permit from the Ministry of the Interior toit.
READ ALSO: “The Ministry of Interior does not seek to destroy anyone”: Ioannou responds to Drousiotis | AlphaNews
