‘Selective justice’ under scrutiny regarding Annie Alexui allegations

Questions over selective scrutiny within the justice system intensified on Monday, as lawyer Simos Angelides publicly lambasted the police’s handling of social media personality Annie Alexui’s allegations, contrasting swift action in the case of Phedonas Phedonos with apparent inertia involving other senior officials.

Justice Minister Costas Fitiris at a press conference on Monday assured that if there were any rotten apples, they would be eliminated, explaining however that everything depended on obtaining testimonies and written statements.

Speaking on Sigma TV, Angelides questioned the legal basis of recent suspensions.

He argued that issues cited publicly, such as alleged GDPR violations and defamation, “do not fall within the competence of the police”, stressing that personal data matters belong to the relevant commissioner and that defamation is a civil issue, not grounds for criminal prosecution.

From the outset, he said, this created “a series of question marks”.

At the heart of his intervention was what he called the selective treatment of allegations.

“Here lies the oxymoron,” Angelides remarked, “you cannot, on the one hand, adopt certain reports and, on the other, not even have the will to investigate others.”

He pointed to cases such as the recent suspension of Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos as well as Lefkoniko mayor Pieris Gypsiotis for alleged domestic abuse, while serious accusations against senior police figures have not resulted in comparable repercussions.

Angelides referred to Annie Alexui’s own claims that she had attempted repeatedly in previous years to report specific incidents to the police but was allegedly turned away.

He said her call for witnesses to bypass local stations and contact police headquarters instead reflected “the belief that at a lower level there is a cover-up, while at the police headquarters there is greater trust in the institution”, adding bluntly that “this is tragic”.

Alexui has made public claims against deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides as well as assistant police-chief Michalis Katsounotos, whose name has repeatedly surfaced in controversial investigations over the past decade.

Katsounotos, has previously been accused by former central prisons director, Anna Aristotelous, of abusing his authority and colluding with a convicted felon to obtain compromising material against her.

An independent investigation found no evidence of corruption and attorney- general George Savvides, citing public interest, declined to pursue criminal prosecution.

Katsounotos was subsequently transferred to head the marine police and later promoted by Nikos Christodoulides to his current role.

His name has also been linked to unresolved public controversies, including the 2012 road death of 17-year-old Andreas Loizou, when Katsounotos was head of the Limassol traffic police.

Despite eyewitness accounts and recurring allegations of a cover-up involving a high-ranking politician’s daughter at the wheel, no charges were ever brought.

Authorities have consistently rejected claims of interference, attributing missing police bulletins and statements to technical issues.

Angelides acknowledged signs of renewed police activity, referring to an operation carried out in Paphos that may be linked to recent revelations.

He suggested this indicated a shift from what had appeared to be a stagnant approach.

However, he warned that vague assurances were insufficient.

A general statement that a case is “under investigation”, he said, “does not necessarily mean anything substantial”, though it could encourage witnesses to come forward.

Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis has confirmed that international procedures and contacts with other countries are under way in relation to Annie Alexui, while stating there is no official information on her reported presence in Russia.

He declined to comment further on the substance of the allegations.

Angelides said “only time would determine” whether the now twelve arrest warrants against Alexoui shall stand.

Speaking during a press conference on judicial reform on Monday, Fitiris was questioned to respond to allegations raised by Annie Alexui, regarding organised crime networks of operating unchecked and questioned the handling of complaints by the police.

“If there are rotten apples, we want to eliminate them,” Fitiris assured.

He said that videos circulating online must be assessed carefully.

“All the videos that are posted have two perspectives. One is the human aspect, what she has been through and narrates, and the complaints she makes about organised crime and even the internal affairs of the police,” he said.

Fitiris stressed that investigations depend on formal procedure.

“What needs to be done is to evaluate all the information and for the police and the prosecutor’s office to proceed with the necessary investigations,” he said.

“Without testimonies and without written statements, things will remain in the air.”