Former Cyprus president and several officials may face charges over Elena Rybolovleva’s arrest

The Legal Committee of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus has initiated consideration of materials related to the circumstances of Elena Rybolovleva’s arrest in 2014. According to available information, based on the results of an independent investigation, former President of the country Nicos Anastasiades, as well as several senior officials and law enforcement officers, may face formal charges of abuse of power and exceeding their official authority.
The basis for the proceedings was the findings of the investigative commission, which identified signs of coordinated actions by state institutions in the interests of a private individual in the context of divorce proceedings. The report states that Rybolovleva’s detention at Larnaca Airport, following an allegation of stealing an expensive ring belonging to a trust fund, was carried out with gross violations of procedural rules and without proper legal grounds.
During the parliamentary hearings, MPs emphasized the need for a full legal assessment of the actions of those who made decisions at the highest state level, in order to rule out precedents of using the law enforcement system in commercial disputes. The case materials will be sent to the Attorney General’s Office in the near future for a final decision on whether to initiate criminal proceedings against those involved in the investigation.