Our View: Why are police investigating claims of woman wanted for spreading fake news?

News that police were investigating allegations of wife-beating against Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos came as big surprise. This was officially confirmed on Monday morning by a spokesman of the police press office on a radio show on CyBC.

Officer Christodoulos Konsolos said: “In the last few days what we have been seeing is circulating on the internet. The whole situation has to do with issues of family violence. There are persons against whom there are various allegations. The police has commenced an investigation and all these things will be investigated and when evidence emerges partly clearing up the situation, we shall announce the results.”

The obvious question was who made the allegations? Had Mrs Phedonos filed a complaint to the police accusing her husband of 20 years of being physically violent? Had a close relative of Mrs Phedonos, a friend or a neighbour of the family reported cases of violence? None of these things happened. The police had decided to investigate the mayor, because allegations were posted on social media.

What was astonishing was that the source of the allegations was the social media star Anna Alexui (real name Ioanna Fotiou) who claims to have inside information on Cyprus’ organised crime and has made allegations of corruption and criminal behaviour against dozens of people, linking many of them to the criminal underworld. She has had 13 arrest warrants issued against her for disseminating false information and for harassment, among other things, but these have not been executed as she now lives in Russia.

In short, she is what could be described as an unreliable witness. The fact that the police opened an investigation against Phedonos based on allegations made on the internet by a woman the police are after for spreading fake news is beyond absurdity. How could they believe her allegations against the mayor, when she has a record for spreading fake news? Have the police investigated any other of the countless allegations made by Alexoui on social media? As for the medical reports she posted, should the police justify an investigation based on what is a flagrant violation of the law on the protection of personal data?

The police may have proceeded with the investigation in connection with the alleged use of violence by a Disy deputy after his partner withdrew her complaint. In the case of Phedonos however, no complaint was filed by his wife. In a statement, she said: “I never reported my husband to the police. The claims that I reported my husband to the police and that I gave a statement or statements to the police are entirely false.”

So, what are the police investigating when his alleged victim denies having been beaten? It would be a new low for the police if they have initiated an investigation against the mayor based on allegations made by someone wanted for spreading fake news.