Michalis Zolotas requests removal of reports linking him to mafia state investigation

Michalis Zolotas has issued a formal legal demand for media outlets to remove and delete reports that associate him with the so-called mafia state case. The request was made via his legal representatives, A & E. C. Emilianides, C. Katsaros & Associates LLC. Zolotas contends that references linking him to the Focus case, or characterizing him as an intermediary for Andreas Vgenopoulos regarding the funding of the Cypriot political system, are unfounded and misleading. He asserts that his name and photograph were used without justification in reports concerning the appointment of an independent investigative team by the Independent Authority Against Corruption. Zolotas emphasizes that he is not a person under investigation by the Authority in relation to this case. He further notes that his transfer to Cyprus was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court on July 9, 2019, in Civil Appeal 381/2017. Additionally, he points to a final judgment issued by the Permanent Assize Court of Nicosia on July 31, 2020, which acquitted him of all criminal charges. Zolotas has warned that he reserves the right to take further legal action if these media reports are not retracted or if similar claims continue to be published.