The Nicosia criminal court has rescheduled the “trial within a trial” procedure of the German real estate agent accused of usurping Greek Cypriot properties in the north to May 2 after a witness reported sick on Wednesday.

Previously the the real estate’s lawyer had questioned the legality of the procedure for the defendant’s arrest, claiming that electronic devices were seized and examined without a warrant.

At the centre of the lawyer’s argument for the “trial within a trial” is the legality of the documents confiscated upon the suspect’s arrest at Larnaca airport in July 2024.

Contesting the circumstances under which the documents were seized, the lawyer raised questions about the way in which the accused’s consent was obtained and whether their contents were accessed lawfully.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the court approved a request to have specific documents examined by a handwriting expert for comparison with other materials, including handwritten notes attributed to the accused.

The case came to light after the real estate agent reportedly spoke about selling property in the north to an off-duty police officer during an inbound flight to Cyprus, who 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.

The trial of the 49-year-old German real estate agent began in March 2025 with her facing a total of 44 charges, including 24 charges for the offence of fraudulent transaction in real estate belonging to another, one charge of money laundering, 18 charges of illegal possession and use of land, and one charge of illegal possession of land.

The defendant has denied all charges brought against her.