Clerides challenges search warrant in ‘Sandy’ case as supreme court petition filed

An application seeking to annul a search warrant issued for the home of lawyer Nikos Clerides was filed before the supreme court on Tuesday.

Speaking outside the court following the filing, Clerides said the move was prompted by what he described as substantive legal errors in the original decision of the lower court.

“The application has too many legal points in which the court of first instance erred,” he claimed, adding that the police affidavit underpinning the warrant contained “too many gaps and deliberate errors”.

The petition, filed as a ‘certiorari’ (an order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court), seeks to have the warrant annulled effectively rendering it void from the outset.

Should the court accept the argument, any material obtained during the search of Clerides’ home and office would be inadmissible as evidence and would have to be returned.

Clerides said his legal team is awaiting notification of a hearing date through the electronic justice system.

“We hope that within the next few days the date will be set,” he said, expressing confidence that the court would assess the arguments “fairly and correctly”.

The case centres on a controversial investigation tied to allegations publicised by journalist Makarios Drousiotis, involving a woman referred to as “Sandy” and claims implicating prominent figures.

Authorities executed the search warrant earlier this month, seizing phones, laptops, USB devices and documents from Clerides’ premises as part of an ongoing inquiry.

A central point of dispute in recent days has been the authenticity of material circulating publicly, including messages and photographs attributed to the case.

Clerides downplayed the significance of whether some images may be fabricated, arguing that the substance lies elsewhere.

“What matters is the content of the messages,” he stressed.

“Now if she wanted to add some garnishes with some photos, it is not essential to the case at hand.”

He further claimed that the substance of those communications has not been properly examined by investigators.

“The content was never examined by the police. That is what needs to be examined,” he said, suggesting that the focus of the investigation may have been misplaced.

The legal challenge comes amid broader criticism from Clerides’ defence team regarding the conduct of the search.

His lawyer and former Bar Association president Christos Clerides has previously argued that the warrant, if found to be legally flawed, undermines fundamental protections, particularly those related to legal privilege.

According to the defence, the implications of a successful application extend beyond procedural correction.

The police have maintained that the warrant was lawfully obtained based on testimony in their possession and have rejected allegations of procedural misconduct.

The investigation remains active, with digital material reportedly undergoing forensic examination, including through cooperation with European agencies.

The allegations themselves, strongly contested by those named, include serious claims of abuse and misconduct involving senior figures, among them former judge Michalakis Christodoulou.

He has denied wrongdoing, stating in earlier responses that his conduct was misrepresented.