Reports link Direct Democracy candidate to past drug conviction

A candidate of the Direct Democracy party was reportedly convicted in a drug-related case in the north, according to Turkish Cypriot media reports.

The reports refer to Kyrenia district candidate Valery Tarapai, who is said to have been arrested in May 2017 along with another individual for transporting drugs to the north.

According to the article published by Turkish Cypriot paper Gundem Kibris, Tarapai was found in possession of 170 grammes of cannabis, drug-processing equipment and €700 believed to have originated from drug sales. Tarapai and co-defendant Sofoklis Mavroskoufi had been caught at the Ayios Dhometios crossing point while attempting to transport drugs by car. She and the other defendant were reportedly sentenced by a Turkish Cypriot court to three years in prison.

During questioning they admitted to importing a total of 236 grammes of cannabis into the north on multiple occasions. The court in the north found that they had acted as couriers, transporting drugs on at least two occasions in exchange for significant sums of money. Both were sentenced to three years in prison.

Tarapai has confirmed the substance of the reports. Speaking to Phileleftheros, she said she served a two-year prison sentence and was later released due to good behaviour. She also stated that she does not recognise the legal framework in the north. “We do not recognise the laws in the occupied areas because they do not align with the laws of the EU and the Republic of Cyprus,” she said.

Tarapai acknowledged wrongdoing but also described the case as an injustice against her. “I made a mistake, but I was not protected as a young person who had no prior issues with the law. I was not given a second chance,” she said.

The issue drew a reaction from Diko leader Nicolas Papadopoulos, who in a social media post alleged that the Direct Democracy party’s candidate list also includes individuals linked to other serious cases. Among others, he referred to a person under investigation for obtaining money by false representations and another accused of defrauding investors during the stock market period.

“These are the new standards we were promised? Are these the people who will decide the future of our children?” Papadopoulos wondered.

The Direct Democracy party has not publicly responded to the allegations.