Court amends charges in Central Prison document theft case

The Criminal Court has granted the Prosecution's request to amend the sixth and ninth charges in the case involving the theft of state documents from the Central Prisons. The number of alleged stolen items, which include digital discs, floppy disks, and USB drives, has been increased from 421 to 551. These items were reportedly removed between October 2022 and April 2025 and allegedly transferred to the home of the third defendant. During Thursday's session, all eight defendants were re-arraigned on the updated charges and entered pleas of not guilty.

Legal counsel for the Republic, Vasilis Bissas, explained that the increase in the number of items reflects evidence collected since the start of the investigation and is intended to ensure the indictment aligns with existing testimonial material. The court deemed the request justified, as the material was available for inspection by the defense. Additionally, a dispute arose regarding the Prosecution's request to add a new witness who handled the evidence. The defense argued this witness's testimony is not merely formal. The Court has reserved its decision on this matter for November 3.