Alexui files complaints against seven police officers to Fitiris

Ioanna Photiou, known publicly as Annie Alexui, has submitted formal complaints against seven police officers, stating on Wednesday that she sent the material directly to Justice Minister Costas Fitiris while expressing frustration at the lack of response from authorities.

In a video statement and accompanying correspondence, Alexui said she had proceeded with what she described as the “first part” of her allegations through one of the legal avenues previously outlined to her.

The complaints were submitted via her lawyer to an official email address, while she also confirmed sending the same material to the minister’s personal email.

“I completed the first part of my complaints, utilising one of the legal channels he indicated to me. I sent them both to his official email and to his personal email,” she said, adding that the submissions concern “seven police officers” but do not represent the full extent of the material in her possession.

Alexui indicated that further allegations may follow, stating that “there are other police officers about whom I have much more serious material”.

In a letter addressed to Fitiris and made public, she wrote that the complaints “constitute only a portion of the total material in my possession” and that her approach is intended to establish “whether any actions will be taken, whether the cases will be officially registered, and whether there will be a real investigation into the incidents”.

Despite submitting the material several days earlier, Alexui said she has yet to receive confirmation that it has been formally received or processed.

“I have been sending him messages for four or five days, and he has not responded,” she said, adding that she is waiting to see “what procedures will be followed”.

She insisted that similar complaints have been filed with institutions outside Cyprus, though she did not specify which bodies.

The development follows earlier contact between Alexui and Fitiris, during which the minister outlined three possible routes for submitting allegations in a legally admissible manner.

These included providing a statement directly to police, giving testimony abroad through an authorised process, or submitting evidence via a lawyer in Cyprus.

Fitiris had previously confirmed receipt of an earlier letter from Alexui in which she sought guidance on how to proceed.

At the time, he said that “specific instructions for the next steps” would be provided and emphasised that allegations must be formalised through testimony and evidence rather than social media posts.

“The case cannot be substantiated through social media,” he said in earlier remarks, adding that the objective is “to take her testimony and the evidence she claims to hold and to investigate, with the appropriate procedures, what she alleges”.

Authorities have been attempting to secure Alexui’s cooperation in a structured manner, particularly given that she is believed to be seeking asylum in Russia.

 Discussions have included the possibility of obtaining her statement through international legal channels or via written submissions handled by legal representatives.

The case forms part of an ongoing controversy surrounding Alexui’s public allegations, which have circulated widely online and prompted calls for formal investigation.

Her claims have included accusations against senior police figures, such as deputy police-chief Michalis Katsounotos and references to past incidents she says were not properly investigated.

Katsounotos has featured in several past controversies, including accusations by former central prisons director Anna Aristotelous that he abused his authority and colluded with a convicted felon to obtain compromising material against her.

An independent investigation found no evidence of corruption, and attorney-general George Savvides declined to pursue prosecution on “public interest grounds”.

Katsounotos’ name has also been linked to the unresolved 2012 death of 17-year-old Andreas Loizou in the Mouttayiaka underpass in Limassol, when he was head of Limassol traffic police.

Despite eyewitness accounts and repeated allegations of a cover-up involving a high-ranking politician’s daughter, no charges were brought.

Authorities have consistently denied interference, attributing missing police records to technical issues.

Alexui has previously expressed distrust towards state institutions, including law enforcement and legal authorities, while maintaining that she holds recordings, documents and other material related to alleged misconduct.

“Will the attorney-general (George Savvides) appoint trusted people to investigate? The same man who is covering up Katsounotos and so many others? The same attorney-general who approved my European warrants? What they are doing is ridiculous.”, she had commented on Sigma TV previously. 

Fitiris has previously stated that allegations cannot be accepted at face value nor dismissed outright without examination.