THE POLICE officer involved in the extortion allegations involving Marios Matsakis yesterday challenged the DIKO MEP to tell the truth regarding their meetings and publish his itemised telephone bills, which proved their conversations.
In a written statement published through his lawyer, Sergeant Yiannos Ioannou stressed that he had had nothing to do with the leak of the police report into the case, adding that had he wanted to hurt Matsakis he would have gone public with the allegations before the Euro elections last Sunday.
But Ioannou said Matsakis’ claims that he was innocent and that it was all a conspiracy had forced him to issue the statement in order to set the record straight.
Ioannou challenged Matsakis to deny or confirm if they had had personal contact and conversations in a public place in the village of Pyrga and at a parking lot on the Mackenzie beach in Larnaca.
“If he admits we had these meetings, I challenge him to say what we spoke about,” Ioannou said.
“If he denies we met, I challenge him to agree for me publicly to describe the rooms in his house and their contents,” he added.
As an example Ioannou said he saw a radio-controlled helicopter and a large number of carved wooden chests.
Ioannou further challenged Matsakis to tell the truth concerning their telephone conversations: “Does he deny we had repeated telephone conversations?”
He added: “If he doesn’t, I challenge him to say what we talked about.”
The officer further challenged the MEP to agree for his itemised mobile phone bills for that period to be published or give his consent for his phone bill, which indicated their conversations, to be released.
Ioannou, whose statement was not directed solely at Matsakis, explained that before he met Matsakis for the first time he had briefed his superiors at the drug squad.
“Since then any action regarding Dr Matsakis was conducted on the orders and instructions of my superiors.
“I should also have to mention that for my security my colleagues escorted me to every personal contact with Dr Matsakis and oversaw the scene from a distance; and this after instructions from my superiors,” Ioannou said.
The officer said the meetings could be corroborated by his colleagues and his superiors, who were kept informed after every contact or telephone conversation.
Matsakis yesterday continued to insist he was innocent and that it was all part of a conspiracy to silence him.
“I have nothing more to add to what I clearly said yesterday: I’m innocent and it looks like some people want to shut my mouth.
“Some people do not want my voice to be heard in Cyprus or the EU,” Matsakis said.
