Two lawyers offered sharply divergent assessments of how the Sandy case is being handled, in appearances on Politis radio (107.6 and 97.6), with disagreements ranging from the decision to involve Europol to whether the evidence in police hands is complete or reliable.
George Christofides was markedly critical of the pace and conduct of the investigation. "We were far too slow," he said, arguing that the delay had deepened uncertainty around the case. He warned that what is at stake goes beyond the specific allegations: "We have not yet grasped that the institutions themselves are being questioned," he said, cautioning that institutional credibility was at risk of serious damage. He also raised doubts about whether search warrants had been issued at any point, noting that "we have not seen a search warrant issued anywhere," and questioned whether the evidence being examined is complete: "How do you know it is complete? It is neither complete nor authenticated."
On the referral to Europol, Christofides was sceptical, saying such a step "has never been done before" and that the decision "is being questioned from the very moment of its birth." While he stressed he was not questioning the competence of the experts, he maintained that "we were wrong to call them in" and that the process should have remained with Cypriot authorities. He did acknowledge that "there are elements which have already been confirmed," describing these as "grains of truth," while stopping short of saying any complete picture has emerged.
Andonis Demetriou took a more measured line, arguing that an overload of competing information is doing more harm than good. "People are constantly being fired at from all directions with information," he said, adding that "we are causing confusion rather than helping." He noted that "sometimes the solutions to the most complex problems are the simplest ones," and kept the focus on the substance of the case. "This is a very serious matter that touches the institution of justice itself," he said, warning that if the judiciary's standing is undermined, "we lawyers will be going home."
On the evidence, Dimitriou said that "the source of all the information is Sandy," who has given a statement, and that screenshots "on their own are not sufficient." Authentication must be based on the actual devices that have been handed over. He defended the Europol referral, saying the material was sent "to confirm or refute certain claims," and noted that the police have "highly capable people." On the question of appointing an independent criminal investigator, he said this only makes sense if the evidence is first shown to be authentic, asking why such an appointment should be made now. "If it is true, those responsible must be punished," he concluded. "Otherwise, there is no reason to pursue it."