Police investigating if MP’s social media remarks are a criminal offence

Police are investigating whether Independent MP Andreas Themistocleous has committed a criminal offence after he made some abusive social media remarks which the House ethics committee said it was not authorised to examine.

Green MP Alexandra Attalides was giving her statement to the police on Friday as part of the investigation into Themistocleous’ attack against her. After the questioning process is completed, police will make a recommendation to the attorney general for possible criminal prosecution.

Meanwhile, the former Elam MP has threatened to sue Disy spokeswoman Xenia Constantinou who allegedly compared him with former US president Donald Trump.

Last Friday, Themistocleous wrote on Facebook “it looks like the three blacks never showed up” in reference to Attalides’ past allegations that she was receiving threatening messages, among them one saying they would “send three blacks to take care of you”.

His post cited a December article when the Green MP said she was attacked over her support for LGBTQI rights among other policies. With this, Themistocleous was replying to Attalides’ earlier post where she welcomed the passage of legislation criminalising ‘conversion therapies’ on LGBTQI persons.

Attalides had reported the independent MP to the special House ethics committee which on Thursday concluded that it was not authorised to examine the complaint since the incident occurred outside parliament.

But the committee unanimously condemned the post of the MP and called on the competent authorities to investigate the possibility of criminal conduct on his part.

The post “contains insulting, sexist, racist and offensive character that diminishes, among other things, the dignity of this MP,” the statement said.

Many MPs have publicly accused Themistocleous of sexism, racism and homophobia citing his recent attack against Attalides.

The Independent MP complained on Friday that no media has requested him to participate in debates on the issue and said he will take legal action specifically against the Disy press spokeswoman “and against anyone else deemed necessary”.

But this is not the first time Themistocleous found himself in hot water over his inappropriate comments.

In December, Themistocleous had said in parliament that mandatory sex education in schools was “guided by a diseased brain” and would teach children that homosexuality is “okay”.

“The law is nothing but an abomination. It is disgusting, deplorable and sad. We will teach children that it’s ok for two women to kiss each other, and for men the same. We will teach them that two women or two men can have a child.”