Police quizzed over investigation in German usurper

The defence attorney for a German woman on trial for illegally trading in Greek Cypriot properties in the north attempted on Monday to poke holes in the prosecution’s case, arguing that a great deal of the information presented in court is circumstantial.

Nicosia criminal court continued its hearings in the case of German real estate agent Eva Isabella Kunzel.

She had been arrested and had her luggage searched at Larnaca airport in early July 2024, after having a conversation aboard a flight with Elam MEP Geadis Geadi.

Prosecutors say that in that conversation, Kunzel admitted to selling Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north.

Kunzel has been held in pre-trial detention ever since.

In court on Monday, the prosecution summoned to the stand two police officers who worked with the cybercrime unit.

The first, Constantina Parpa, read from a report she had been asked to compile on online information from the website of a German company.

The website identifies Kunzel as the CEO and founder of the company. The same website posts information about tourist resorts and housing complexes in the north.

Cross-examining, defence lawyer Sotiris Argyrou asked the witness if she used a certified translator to translate the German into English. Parpa replied that she used Google Translate.

Asked if she was certain the defendant personally posted the information on the website, the witness said only that she found the information on the website in question.

The defence attorney next asked Parpa if she checked the authenticity of the photographs of properties posted on the website. The witness said no.

Asked whether the website cites information on specific plots of land, numerical identifiers for the plots of land, or precise locations, the witness said no.

Next to take the stand was police officer Christos Hadjivasiliou, who in 2024 worked on investigations using open-source material on the internet.

In a report he compiled in July 2024, he cited social media accounts linked to the real estate company in question and featuring promotional videos of tourist resorts in the north. One such video advertising properties for sale had been posted by the defendant.

Hadjivasiliou also testified that, acting on the lead prosecutor’s instructions, he prepared a second report in October 2024 regarding the defendant’s Instagram account.

At this point, the defence attorney raised an objection, arguing that the prosecution was attempting to introduce new material irregularly.

Responding, lead prosecutor Anna Mattheou said nothing prohibits further investigations once a case has been filed.

The judge overruled the defence’s objection, saying the material is admissible.

The next hearing in the trial has been scheduled for Friday, January 23.