Nicosia Criminal Court halts trial over missing evidence discrepancies

On November 5, 2026, the Nicosia Criminal Court suspended the trial concerning the Central Prisons documents case after identifying persistent discrepancies in the evidence collected from the home of the third defendant, Panagiotis Tsolias. The court ordered a recount of the items stored in boxes after an initial count by the prosecution witness and defense revealed a mismatch with the official inventory lists.

Following the court’s own independent verification of the evidence, the discrepancies remained unresolved. As a result, the court prevented the defense from beginning its cross-examination of the prosecution witness, a Sergeant from the Police Headquarters Criminal Investigation Department. The proceedings were adjourned to allow further time to verify the accuracy of the inventory.

The case, which concerns the handling and documentation of materials from the Central Prisons, has now been scheduled to resume on November 10. The court's decision to pause the trial reflects a commitment to procedural integrity, ensuring that the physical evidence strictly corresponds to the formal records before the defense can proceed with challenging the prosecution's witness.