Marios Matsakis

Marios Matsakis (born August 2, 1954 in Limassol) is a Cypriot politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Democratic Party, and sits with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group. Although a medical doctor by profession, he became involved in politics in the mid 1990's and has sparked controversy on several occasions.

Education
He graduated from the University of London in 1976 with a B.Sc. in microbiology and was awarded a Ph.D in biochemistry in 1981. He was awarded his medical degree from the University of Cambridge in 1984 and specialised in forensic medicine at the university of Glasgow where he was awarded an MPhil in 1992. He then moved to Greece where he continued his studies in forensic pathology. He returned to Cyprus in 1994. At first he assumed a position in the medical field but he soon became interested in politics and was elected as an MP in 1996.

Smuggling claims
On 30 October 2005, Cyprus Mail, a leading newspaper, reported that Matsiakis' home in Pyrga had been raided twice during the week by police and CID officials. Matsakis will be accused of smuggling antiquities. The newspaper described the raid with the words (quote) Enough chests, amphoras and other artifacts for three antique stores were yesterday hauled away from the Pyrga home of MEP Marios Matsakis by police, in the second such raid in a week. (unquote). The first raid took place on 23 October 2005. Matsiakis can be prosecuted under Cypriot law, as the European Parliament lifted his immunity earlier in the month.

Matsakis will also be charged with attempts to blackmail a Drug Squard officer in an unrelated case. Police officials found more than 110 chests and hundreds of Grecian urns on his property.

At all times Matsakis was claiming to be innocent. He also said that "It looks like some people do not want my voice to be heard in Cyprus or Europe".

Inquiry of Allegations
Cyprus mail reported on 22 Aug 2007 that all cases against Dr. Matsakis collapsed and the name of maverick MEP Marios Matsakis has finally been cleared. The MEP called for an independent inquiry to examine possible Police irregularities and to identify suspected political motives for the initiation of the whole affair which started only 3 days after Dr. Matsakis was elected as a Member of the European Parliament representing Cyprus.

Vindication
After two years of having his name dragged through the mud, MEP Marios Matsakis emerged vindicated this week after the authorities returned 250 items that were confiscated from his home. The Attorney General of Cyprus after studying the case decided that no charge could be brought against Dr. Matsakis and all items seized from his home 2 years ago were returned to him.

2007 UK base arrest
Matsakis visited the UK sovereign bases on Cyprus as part of a delegation of the European Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee delegation on April 12, 2007. There he was arrested on charges relating to incidents during a previous visit to the Sovereign Base Area, when he was convicted of vandalising an area of the base including spray-painting a jeep and chaining himself to an antenna in protest to the erection of gigantic espionage antennas around the Limassol Salt Lake, an area of outstanding natural beauty. He refused to pay the £300 fine imposed after his previous conviction, refused to recognise the authority of the court and refused to meet bail, which was set at £500. His arrest prompted representations by the government of Cyprus and other MEPs for his immediate release. Matsakis subsequently went on hunger strike and was transferred to a hospital for assessment.