Five defendants charged over the 230 kilograms of drugs found in Nicosia last February pleaded not guilty to all 30 charges before the Nicosia Assize Court on Friday. The case may now be expanded to include four suspects arrested last Thursday in Operation Plegma, an investigation by the police Organised Crime Combat Directorate that is still under way.
The charges
The five defendants, who are in custody pending trial, appeared before the Assize Court in Nicosia. The charge sheet contains 30 counts in total, most of which concern all of the defendants.
Defence request for an adjournment
During Friday’s hearing, defence lawyer Dimitris Tsolakides told the court that the case may be connected to the new arrests made last Thursday, in which four people are being held as suspects.
According to Mr Tsolakides, because the case involves the same events, a case may be filed against the four suspects and they may be added to the same charge sheet as the current defendants. If that happens, he said, proceedings against the current defendants would have to be suspended and the case refiled for all nine people.
On this basis, Mr Tsolakides asked for the case to be adjourned and a new date set. Lawyers for the other defendants agreed, except for the lawyer for defendant 4, who asked that the defendants enter their pleas.
Pleas entered
The prosecution then read out the 30 charges one by one, and the defendants pleaded not guilty to each.
The Assize Court set the case for hearing on 17 December. All of the defendants remain in custody at the Central Prisons.
Investigation into Operation Plegma
Meanwhile, the investigation into Operation Plegma by the Organised Crime Combat Directorate is continuing, and further arrests are not ruled out.
The suspects’ statements to investigators and data from mobile phones seized during the operation may provide more evidence that could lead police to arrest more people.
