On July 24, 2026, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Cyprus Police formally filed a criminal case at the Nicosia District Court against journalist and author Makarios Drousiotis and an individual publicly known as “Sandy.” Both defendants have been served with indictments consisting of 101 charges. The legal action follows extensive investigations by the authorities into allegations of corruption, rape, and other serious offenses that Drousiotis had published on social media earlier this year.

The investigation, which included cooperation with the FBI and forensic analysis of material by Europol, concluded that the evidence and text messages underpinning Drousiotis's claims were fabricated. Police reports indicate that “Sandy” admitted during questioning that she created the forged messages using a mobile application and provided them to the journalist. The charges brought against the pair include the creation and circulation of forged documents, the publication of false news, and harassment.

This legal development follows a June 3 press conference where the Chief of Police stated that no evidence existed to substantiate the claims made by Drousiotis. While Drousiotis has consistently rejected the police findings and maintains the authenticity of his materials, the Attorney General’s office has now moved to prosecute the case under the Penal Code and anti-harassment legislation. The case will now proceed through the court system to determine the veracity of the claims and the guilt of the accused.