The trial of a 49-year-old German woman who stands accused of having sold Greek Cypriot property in the north began on Wednesday, nine months after her initial arrest.

The Nicosia criminal court trial began with the calling of the prosecution’s first witness, a police officer who was tasked with handling evidence.

However, the defence requested more time to study an amount of evidence that had been sent by the German authorities following a request submitted by the Cypriot authorities on February 22.

The woman’s lawyer, Sotiris Argyrou, said the evidence comprises four boxes and a four-megabyte memory stick, the contents of which is in German. He said the evidence has been partially translated, but that the defence did not have the adequate time to evaluate it in-depth or discuss it with his client.

Additionally, he requested a “trial within a trial” over the woman’s initial arrest in July last year and the subsequent search carried on electronic devices she had on her person at the time, adding that those searches were carried out “without any relevant warrant”.

Prosecution lawyer Anna Mattheou said she considered it appropriate to give the defence the evidence entirely in German, given that the suspect speaks no other language.

She did not object to the request to give the defence more time to study the evidence.

At the end of proceedings, it was decided that matters would continue on Thursday at 9.30am to hear more of the first witness’ testimony.

Additionally, judge Nikolas Georgiades decided that the request for a “trial within a trial” over some of the evidence would be examined at a hearing on April 2 at 9.30am.

Mattheou then disclosed that the material acquired from the German authorities will “not necessarily” constitute the entire witness material in the trial.

Then, Argyrou said the prison authorities have “stopped providing special medication” to his client and asked that she be examined by a doctor and that she be given the medication she requires.

He added that the medication she requires and typically took prior to her arrest is not readily available in Cyprus, but that without it, she has been “suffering from migraines and vomiting”.

The woman was arrested while attempting to board an outbound flight from Larnaca airport in July last year.

Having reportedly spoken about selling property in the north to an off-duty police officer during her inbound flight, the officer in question then reportedly told a colleague and an investigation was launched.

The first officer reportedly informed the woman that selling property in the north was illegal, something to which she did not respond.

She denies all charges.