Five individuals arrested on Thursday in connection with an ongoing investigation into official documents found at the home of a prison warden were remanded for seven days on Friday by the Nicosia district court.

The suspects – four prison wardens and a female police cadet – are linked to the discovery of official documents in the residence of another prison warden, police said.

The documents were found in his residence on April 10, as part of an investigation into another case.

The five face allegations of conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour, abuse of power, breach of official secrecy, violation of privacy laws, and unlawful possession of property.

Material found in the warden’s home included documents dated between 2018 and 2022, architectural schematics of the central prisons, original files, copies bearing authentic signatures, and dossiers on inmates.

After a three-hour recess, Judge Georgia Karamanli said that the police had uncovered sufficient evidence to suggest the suspects were linked to the case. She also noted that some of the seized documents were marked “confidential.”

Karamanli ruled that the suspects should be remanded to prevent them from interfering with the investigation. However, she added that if the inquiry concludes before the end of the remand period, they may be released earlier.

The court heard that the largest volume of documents was moved from prison offices in November and December 2022 via a staircase opposite the offices.

The remaining documents were transported by trolley from the offices to the main entrance of the prisons.

These transfers reportedly took place during office hours, with all five suspects believed to have participated at various times.

Additionally, the court was told that approximately 300,000 documents were found in the warden’s home, including some marked as “confidential” or “secret.”

That warden was released on Thursday after appealing his detention.

Prosecutor Georgia Sofokli argued that releasing the remaining suspects could jeopardise the investigation and potentially lead to the destruction of evidence.

Defence lawyers countered that the investigation began on April 11 and that the suspects had already had ample opportunity to tamper with evidence if they had intended to do so. They also argued that the police lacked sufficient grounds to justify the continued detention of their clients.