The Nicosia criminal court rejected a motion on Tuesday to declare a mistrial in the case of Giorgos Christodoulou, known as ‘Zavrantonas’, who faces charges of importing 15kg of cocaine. The case is being retried after an appeals court overturned his original 22-year sentence from December 2022.

The court also announced it will decide by the next hearing on June 16 whether Christodoulou’s defense lawyers can access three documents related to the main prosecution witness, Yiannis Andreou, alias ‘Maronas’. Andreou, initially sentenced to 16 years for the same case, was released early under a presidential pardon and allegedly had to leave Cyprus as a condition. The defense suspects inducements may have been offered to secure his cooperation.

Christodoulou remains in custody at the central prisons. His lawyers recently requested his release, arguing the conviction has been overturned for four years, but the court denied it citing risks of absconding and further criminal activity.