Police hand over Matsakis file to the Attorney-general

THE police yesterday handed over to the Attorney-general the case file of the investigation into allegations that DIKO MEP Marios Matsakis sought £10,000 to help acquit a police officer involved in a manslaughter case.

Justice Minister Doros Theodorou said police were asking Attorney-general Solon Nikitas to assess the material and decide whether procedures to lift Matsakis’ immunity would be justified.

The file contains 40 testimonies, 29 of which were from police officers.

Two more testimonies are expected to be received within the next few days because the individuals were absent abroad.

Theodorou said the police had submitted ample material to help Nikitas in his task.
The case file was handed over by the head of the investigation, George Aristidou.

The story gained prominence a couple of weeks ago after Politis published a police report detailing the meetings and conversations between Matsakis and the officer in question, who had been recording their conversations.

When police first began investigating the case in early April, Nikitas refused to start procedures for lifting Matsakis’ immunity citing to lack of evidence.

With the story coming to public attention, however, the case was re-examined and last week Nikitas gave the green light for investigations to start, though he stressed police could not question the MEP for the time being.

President Tassos Papadopoulos, who knew about the case since early on, but chose not to brief his party, has taken a legalistic position on the issue, suggesting that political responsibility should only be assumed once guilt was proven through the courts.

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