The woman behind the pseudonym "Sandy" has issued a further statement through Cyprus Times, offering additional clarifications regarding her involvement in the case, the disputed messages and her position on the criminal prosecution of journalist Makarios Drousiotis.
In her latest intervention, Sandy does not deny participating in the creation of messages connected to the case. She acknowledges writing messages which, she now says, did not reflect real conversations or actual events.
In her earlier statement to Cyprus Times, she said her involvement began through her communication with lawyer Nicos Clerides.
"At first it was a conversation. Then came the questions. The answers brought new questions and, at some point, I began stepping into a role. The role of 'Sandy'," she wrote.
However, Clerides told Politis on Wednesday that the woman had "already adopted the role of Sandy" when she first approached him.
Sandy nevertheless maintains that not everything that later emerged in connection with the case came from her. She continues to draw a distinction between what she personally wrote or said and material which, according to her account, she neither created nor passed on.
According to her position, entering the role of Sandy does not mean that every message or subsequent version of events originated from her.
Her position on Makarios Drousiotis
Addressing claims that the prosecution of Makarios Drousiotis amounts to an attempt to silence a journalist, Sandy argues that an investigation into whether false or non-genuine material was used cannot, in itself, be considered an attack on press freedom.
According to her, neither a person's status as a journalist proves that a claim is true, nor does the existence of criminal proceedings prove guilt.
"The court will judge the facts, the evidence and each person's responsibilities. This must be done without political pressure, without trial by publicity and without pre-judging guilt or innocence," she said.
Response on the missing phone
Sandy also addressed questions surrounding the loss of the mobile phone she used during the relevant period.
She questioned how she could have known six years ago that someone would later publish messages linked to the case.
At the same time, she argued that several of the claims contained in the messages were so extraordinary that they could have been verified through basic fact-checking.
In a telephone conversation with Cyprus Times, she said:
"It was not difficult for someone to learn that my father had died, because everyone in the area knew. One question and they would have found out."
She also argued that simple inquiries within her neighbourhood could have shown that certain details later published did not correspond, according to her version of events, to reality.
Face-to-face interview planned
The Cyprus Times report concludes by stating that a face-to-face interview with Sandy is being arranged and is expected to take place at a later stage.
