Police have opened a second criminal investigation into journalist Makarios Drousiotis over alleged personal data offences connected with his book Mafia State, some four years after its publication and two months after the anti-corruption authority delivered its findings on allegations contained in the book.

Drousiotis disclosed the investigation in a post on X on Saturday, saying police headquarters had begun taking statements from people involved in the production of the book, including its printer, editor and designer.

He said the police department investigating the new case was the same department that investigated the Sandy affair and accused authorities of attempting to intimidate people who worked with him.

Drousiotis described the development as an attempt to “terrorise and criminalise investigative journalism” and said the case concerned personal data.

The journalist is already facing criminal proceedings in the separate Sandy case, in which he and a woman known publicly as ‘Sandy’ have been served with indictments involving around 101 counts.

That case concerns allegations that fabricated messages and false claims were used to accuse public figures of serious crimes.

Police previously concluded that the disputed messages had been fabricated using a mobile application and said the material had been supplied to Drousiotis by Sandy, who investigators said admitted creating it.

Drousiotis has rejected the police findings and accused investigators of predetermining the outcome of that investigation.

He has also alleged that the criminal proceedings are intended to undermine his role as a witness in the Mafia State affair.

The new investigation is separate from the authority’s examination of allegations contained in Mafia State.

“We are now living in dark times,” Drousiotis wrote.

“Every democratically minded citizen must react, and the journalistic family must take a stand.”

He said the issue extended beyond his own case and concerned “freedom of expression, transparency, accountability” and the rule of law.

Drousiotis has consistently rejected the allegations against him in that case and has maintained that the proceedings are connected to his work on Mafia State.