Marios Menelaou, the former head of Cyprus’s DEFA, is now free of criminal charges. These charges were about a disagreement with a worker. A court has decided this after a long legal fight. The state did not want to start the case.
Mr. Menelaou was accused of assault and threats. He was the General Director of DEFA. A former coordinator said Mr. Menelaou attacked him. This happened in an office in 2022. The Attorney General decided not to take the case. The worker then started his own private case.
The judge said guilt must be proven clearly. The court found that there was not enough proof. The judge did not believe the accuser. There were big differences in his statements. The court also found his story strange. He said Mr. Menelaou played with the air conditioner.
The court listened to Mr. Menelaou for many hours. His testimony was clear and made sense. The court believed his story. It seemed like he acted in self-defence. The accuser blocked his way. He also came too close to Mr. Menelaou.
The court also thought about why the case started. The accuser might have been angry. He was not chosen for a competition later. The court thinks the case might have been for revenge. This was to solve problems at work.
This decision is important for both men. Mr. Menelaou is now free from the charges. The accuser's story is now doubted by the court. This case shows how hard it is to prove guilt. It also shows how private cases can happen. It shows how work problems can become court cases.