Volt backs Drousiotis as digital evidence presented comes under scrutiny

Volt has denied any distancing from parliamentary candidate Makarios Drousiotis, as police findings and contested digital evidence continue to shape the ‘Sandy’ case.

The party’s co-chairman Panos Parras said in a public statement on Friday that “we categorically deny what has been heard and written recently regarding alleged distancing from our candidate, Makarios Drousiotis”, adding that the party’s position “remains clear and unwavering” in calling for “a full and in-depth clarification of the case”.

The statement comes amid intensified scrutiny of claims published by Drousiotis concerning a 45-year-old woman, known as ‘Sandy’, and alleged links to senior judicial and political figures.

Central elements of those claims have been challenged by findings emerging from a police investigation, including employment records and forensic examination of digital material.

According to police data submitted in a sworn affidavit to secure search warrants, Sandy did not in fact work at the presidential palace at any point between 2023 and the present, contradicting a key assertion in Drousiotis’s published allegations.

Investigators cross-checked records from the social insurance department and obtained statements from former employers, concluding that she was working at a private shop in Nicosia during the period in question.

Employment data covering a longer timeframe indicates continuous work in Cyprus from 2001 to 2023, supported by social insurance contributions, employer records and documented visits within the national health system (Gesy).

These findings have been cited as evidence against claims that she had been employed in state institutions or had spent extended periods abroad.

Drousiotis has maintained that ‘Sandy’ travelled to Germany and released an audio recording which he said documents her arrival there.

In the recording, a female voice states, “when I left Cyprus, I didn’t leave alone. I left with my son and a baby, and I don’t want to lose them.”

Investigators are examining travel records to determine whether such a journey took place.

Contradictions between the two accounts remain central to the case, as the police have indicated that the available data does not support claims of prolonged absence from Cyprus, while Drousiotis has argued that official findings are aimed at discrediting both the witness and the material he has published.

The authenticity of that material is also under examination, for the case includes hundreds of messages, some presented as screenshots and others as direct extracts.

Lawyer Nikos Clerides, who has represented Sandy until recently, stated that “we are talking about 400 messages. When someone sees them, there is no way they would think they are fake.”

He added that “not all the messages were screenshots”.

However, forensic analysis of devices seized by police identified applications capable of generating fabricated messages and calls.

These applications were found to have been downloaded on March 30, shortly before Drousiotis published his initial claims.

Investigators have not reached a final conclusion on whether the messages are genuine or fabricated, and the material has been forwarded to Europol for further examination.

Sandy herself has given conflicting accounts regarding the messages. In statements cited in the police affidavit, she reportedly said the messages were fabricated and described acting “impulsively and without a clear reason”.

Investigators have treated that account with caution, noting inconsistencies and continuing to assess the credibility of all evidence.

Further questions have been raised about visual material published in support of the allegations.

A photograph presented as evidence of a knife wound was traced through reverse image searches to a German website where it had appeared in 2022.

Other images, including photographs of cash allegedly linked to financial transactions, were also found to have been previously published online.

Drousiotis has insisted that the material he released forms part of a broader body of evidence submitted to authorities, including more than 130 messages and audio files.

He has stated that “the government has mobilised all the means at its disposal to ridicule me personally” and argued that the focus should remain on investigating the substance of the allegations.

Police have opened an investigation covering 12 potential offences, including forgery, circulation of false documents, unlawful processing of personal data and money laundering.

Authorities have not specified whether any charges will be brought or against whom.

Police chief Themistos Arnaoutis said the investigation “is not being conducted to confirm any narrative” but “to arrive at the truth”, adding that “no person is above the law, just as no person can be targeted without evidence”.

Searches carried out at the home and office of Nikos Clerides resulted in the seizure of mobile phones, computers and USB files.

Clerides has challenged the legality of the operation and filed an application with the supreme court seeking to annul the search warrant, citing concerns over legal confidentiality.

Volt’s intervention sought to clarify its position amid speculation, reiterating that there has been no internal discussion regarding his removal from the electoral list.

The party stated that developments in the case have led to “intense concern” in society and warned that “trust in the rule of law is being seriously tested”.

It called for a comprehensive investigation without pre-empting conclusions.

At the same time, differing narratives continue to emerge from those involved. Drousiotis has alleged the existence of an organised ‘Rosicrucian Brotherhood’ involving public officials, while individuals named in the allegations have denied wrongdoing.

Former judge Michalakis Christodoulou has acknowledged knowing ‘Sandy’ but rejected all accusations of rape and having sired three children with her, stating that “everything that has been published is a lie”.