Journalist and author Makarios Drousiotis has launched new accusations and “criticism” against the Christodoulides government in a social media post; who is facing criminal charges over statements he made publicly regarding the high-profile “Sandy” case.
As he claims, “the Christodoulides administration has criminalized not only journalistic work but also the publishing process,” and he asserts that as part of the investigation into the case, the authorities summoned his father-in-law, the printer, the designer, and the editor of the book “State Mafia” for questioning.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The journalist and author also claims that a CYP official filed a complaint against him for a personal data breach and speaks of harassment and the criminalization of the publishing process.
READ ALSO: “Mafia State”: Complaint Filed by a CYP Officer, Says Drousiotis
READ ALSO: Police Awaiting Outcome of Drousiotis’ Crowdfunding Campaign: They Have Sought an Opinion from the Legal Service
Meanwhile, the police have approached the Legal Service requesting a legal opinion, regarding the letter it received from the Ministry of the Interior concerning a possible illegal fundraising campaign 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.
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 Law on Fundraising, 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, to be evaluated, and a decision to approve or reject the request is made accordingly and under specific conditions.”
Konstantinos Ioannou – Ministry of the Interior
READ ALSO: “The Ministry of the Interior does not seek to eliminate anyone”: Ioannou responds to Drousiotis
Makarios Drousiotis reacted immediately, reminding the Minister of the Interior that the crowdfunding method he is using does not fall under the relevant law. In other words, he explained that, in practice, he did exactly what Nikos Christodoulides had done a few months before the 2023 presidential election.
“Nikos Christodoulides became president through crowdfunding and reported me 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 took to social media again, stating in a second post 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 fundraisers. 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 Journalists’ Union 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
From the police’s perspective, four days ago it became known that the issue under investigation is whether the online fundraising campaign should have been conducted in accordance with the Ministry of the Interior’s procedures for fundraising campaigns. However, as the police informed us today, in order to conduct this investigation, 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 remains 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 authorization from the Ministry of the Interior to carry it out.
