Court proceedings in the ‘Zavrantonas’ case continued on Friday with the cross examination of key prosecution witness Yiannis ‘Maronas’ Andreou, who on Thursday had told the court he had initially lied to the authorities.

The defence lawyer for Giorgos ‘Zavrantonas’ Christodoulou said in court on Friday that Andreou had been given preferential treatment by the authorities and had been released before serving his prison sentence in full following an agreement with the authorities and testimony against Christodoulou.

Christodoulou is facing charges of importing 15kg of cocaine with intent to sell.

The case is being re-tried after the appeals court overturned the conviction of Christodoulou, who in December 2022 was sentenced to 22 years in prison. The appeals court had ordered the case to be retried from scratch.

Andreou himself had initially been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the same case. Having served four, he was subsequently granted a presidential pardon, and has turned witness for the state.

Having already been sentenced once for the same case, and having a presidential pardon, he cannot now implicate himself due to double jeopardy.

Andreou’s cross examination was completed on Friday and the next hearing has been set for July 21, when new witnesses will be called in.

Christodoulou’s defence lawyer Christos Poudjouris said it was not a coincidence that both key witnesses were in a protection programme.

Poudjouris also mentioned that the witness had been reported by then prison director Anna Aristotelous for insulting and threatening her, adding that senior police officer Michalis Katsounotos had also been involved.

The witness confirmed a complaint had been filed, but denied having insulted or threatened anyone.

Andreou also denied having any knowledge about Katsounotos.

Poudjouris presented CCTV footage on Friday from the witness’ residence, indicating that in January 2019 Aristides (Aristos) Kyprianou had visited him and left with an envelope, which the defence said contained cash, as well as a military holdall.

The witness said Kyprianou was indeed holding something but said he was unaware of the contents.

The defence then stated that the witness had set up a poker game on the day before his arrest. Andreou confirmed the game but denied he had anything to do with it, as he “did not know how to play”.

Poudjouris also said that while he was being held at Pera Chorio police station in Nicosia, there had been “a party with ambelopoulia” – songbirds, the trapping of which is illegal. The witness denied this statement.

The cross examination continued with statements by the defence that while in prison Andreou was ordering food, had celebrated his birthday with expensive champagne and had access to a mobile phone.

When told by Poudjouris that he had eight mobiles in prison, the witness confirmed three, one of which operated with a Turkish number.

The phones were not presented in court and Poudjouris said the witness had discarded them deliberately.

To all subsequent questions by the defence, Andreou insisted that his second testimony was true.