Ambassador’s trial adjourned

THE trial of Cyprus’ former Ambassador to Sweden was yesterday adjourned, after the prosecution requested time to review some of the charges, which they claimed “posed some problems”.

Most of the 26 charges levelled against Costas Papadimas are related to sexual harassment claims made by two female employees and a diplomat at the embassy in Stockholm.

In the previous hearing on February 2, defence lawyer Rikos Erotokritou argued some of the charges against his client were in fact in contradiction of EU sexual harassment laws.
Yesterday, the state prosecutor informed the three-judge panel that he had only recently been placed on the case.

“It is for that reason that I only recently spotted some problems with the charges, which I will need to review. I may even have to speak to the Attorney-general on the matter.”
The court adjourned the trial to February 17. Chief Judge Marios Christodoulou ordered that the accused be bound to his next court appearance.

Papadimas has been ordered to pay a £5,000 guarantee that he will attend the proceedings. He has also been ordered to hand in his passport and travel documents and his name has been placed on the stop list.

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