List of brothel patrons submitted to court

By Constantinos Psillides

NAMES of four prominent public figures who allegedly frequented the high-end “Aphrodite’s Temple” brothel in Palodia were submitted in chambers to the Criminal Court by the defence lawyer of a 43-year old Russian man suspected of running the brothel.

Marios Georgiou asked the court for a closed session so that he could proceed to reveal the names. His request was denied, following an argument by the prosecution that an open trial is “at the core of the justice system, since it ensures transparency.”

The judge denied the request saying that the public has a right to know what takes place inside the courtroom.

In the end, Georgiou decided not to make the names public but opted to submit a list as evidence. The defence lawyer claimed that the police were in a hurry to close the case, in order to protect police officers who “did business with the 43-year old.”

The trial will continue on November 18.

This is not the first time that Georgiou hinted towards high-profile individuals visiting the brothel. Earlier last month, the defence lawyer sent a letter to the Attorney General Costas Clerides asking him to drop the charges or else he would have no option but to reveal their names.

“Politicians, high ranking police officers, even officials from the Legal Services used to visit the brothel,” Georgiou had claimed, adding that he was basing his accusations on the testimonies of the girls working there.

The high-end brothel was situated on the outskirts of Palodia village and was raided by police on July 23. In all, 21 persons were arrested, including the 17 girls working there and the 43-year old who at the time identified himself as the establishment’s manager. In the end, only 13 girls were remanded in custody, along with the manager, while two security guards, a DJ, kitchen staff and a cleaning lady were released. Police investigators then asked the girls to turn prosecution witnesses, so that they could build a case against the 43-year old.

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