Police file charges against law commissioner

The charge sheet against law commissioner Louiza Christodoulidou Zannetou has been filed to court, where a district judge will have to sign it off before a hearing is set, it emerged on Wednesday.

Police told the Cyprus Mail the charge is refusing/avoiding to give a sample for an alcotest.

The Road Safety Law says the charge can come with a prison sentence of either up to two years, a €5,000 fine, being stripped off a driver’s licence for up to one year or a combination.

Consequences

Currently, the attorney general is expected to opine on the fate of Zannetou’s job, amid calls for her resignation.

The palace is seeking to understand whether she can be fired or suspended however multiple sources have said there may be mitigating circumstances in her favour and such matters are handled “on a case-by-case basis”.

Zannetou was caught drunk driving on January 11, when an initial alcotest showed a high alcohol reading, over the legal limit.

What happened after is disputed. Police initially said Zannetou refused to do a second test with a more specialised machine as the law stipulates, and as such was charged with refusal to grant a breathalyser sample.

A day later however, police said it was a misunderstanding, saying a wrong impression had been created due to the wording of the charge.

‘Issue of terminology’

Police spokesman Christos Andreou said Zannetou did come to the closest police station and gave a sample but she had not done so properly.

As such, she had to be charged but the law does not distinguish in its terminology between not giving the sample properly or refusing, Andreou clarified.

He said the law does not allow for a repeat sample to be given.

In her own statement, Zannetou apologised for the incident but said what was written about her differed from what actually happened.

She sought to remind the public that she was innocent until proven guilty, stressing she would say nothing more until her case was heard.