The District Court of Nicosia has issued an arrest warrant for former Commissioner of Volunteering, Yiannis Yiannaki, due to his absence from the scheduled commencement of his trial for alleged forgery.
The presiding judge was not convinced by the medical certificate presented by Yiannaki’s lawyer, which cited illness as the reason for his nonappearance.
Consequently, the judge summoned Yiannaki’s doctor to testify. After hearing the doctor’s account, the judge deemed Yiannaki’s absence unjustified and ordered the issuance of the arrest warrant.
The warrant, to be executed by the Nicosia District Court’s Registry, is scheduled for Wednesday morning, 2 April, when Yiannaki will appear before the judge, likely in handcuffs, for his trial. The warrant will be forwarded to police, which is responsible for its enforcement. The trial is set to proceed on that day, regardless of whether the defendant is represented by legal counsel.
Yiannaki faces charges of forgery and the use of forged documents concerning his diploma and degree certificates. He has changed legal representation twice to date.
An arrest warrant was previously issued on Monday by the Nicosia District Court, instructing that Yiannakis be held in custody until his appearance at the next hearing on 2 April.
Through his temporarily appointed lawyer, Yiannaki submitted a medical certificate citing symptoms of vomiting and weakness, diagnosed as gastritis, for which he was prescribed medication.
However, the judge was not satisfied with the justification for his absence and proceeded with the arrest warrant. Consequently, the next two hearings have been postponed, with the following dates set for 8 April at 10:30 and 14 April at 12:00. The session on 2 April will commence at 09:00.
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