German’s usurpation trial continues with cross-examination

Arguments in the second trial-within-a-trial in the case of the German real estate agent facing charges of usurping Greek Cypriot property in the north will be heard on December 3 at 9am, the court said on Friday.

The second trial-within-a-trial has to do with the statement she gave on July 11, 2024, to the police and whether it was voluntary.

During Friday’s proceedings, that lasted five hours, the prosecution cross-examined the defendant. The two sides also submitted a statement on admissible facts.

The defendant was cross-examined by Anna Mattheou and in many instances defence lawyer Soteris Argyrou objected, saying that the questions were irrelevant to the trial-within-a-trial.

During the cross-examination, the defendant repeatedly said she had given the statement on July 11, 2024, following her arrest on July 7, 2024, because she was aware that the police were holding here personal items, laptop, tablet and mobile phone, and had access to her emails, and was worried about possible consequences on her family in Germany.

She also said she was innocent, despite the fact that her lawyer had advised her to plead guilty.

The defendant said the whole case was built around a single testimony by a person she had chatted to on the plane in broken English, a conversation she said she had not been asked about.

She furthermore said she had committed no offence in relation to a real estate website in Germany.