The Minister of Justice Stephi Dracou, late on Monday announced her intention to suspend a senior police officer implicated in a complaint filed against him by central prisons director Anna Aristotelous, in which he allegedly colluded with an inmate to obtain video footage of her in an attempt to damage her reputation.
According to a statement by the ministry, the officer has been given until Wednesday to respond before making her final decision, Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported.
The senior officer requested and was given time no later than Wednesday to consult with his legal advisers before responding, the statement concluded.
Attorney-General Giorgos Savvides on Monday appointed lawyer Achilleas Emilianides as an independent criminal investigator to look into the complaint filed earlier in the day by Aristotelous.
Aristotelous filed the complaint to overwhelming backing from prisoners, former prisoners and prison staff who staged a demonstration in her support.
“My lawyers have hand-delivered my complaints to the attorney-general, alongside all of the relevant evidence regarding the actions of a senior officer that were intended to harm me, and which we believe constitute a blatant act of corruption, more so because they were committed by a member of the police,” Aristotelous told reporters after the demonstration.
The attorney-general’s office confirmed receipt of the papers in a Tweet, saying the case is already under investigation.
Aristotelous, who first went public with the allegations on Friday, also said she was in possession of a number of messages exchanged between the inmate and the officer on Telegram, which were given to her group of lawyers.
“The actions we have reported are very serious, as has been pointed out by institutional and other officials, and as a citizen – like any citizen – I have the right to demand a full investigation, in order to ensure the prevention of any interference,” she said.
The investigation will be guided and informed by the attorney-general’s office and investigators will be armed with police powers in order to be able to take statements, call people for questioning, and if deemed necessary, obtain search or arrest warrants.
On Monday afternoon, Savvides issued a written statement appointing Emilianides.
The attorney general also ordered that the investigation be completed within a month.
“After the end of the investigation, the legal service will deliberate and announce its decisions immediately,” Savvides had earlier said.
On Friday, the prisons director met with Justice Minister Stephie Dracos for more than an hour, briefing her on the evidence she holds.
Speaking to reporters after the demonstration on Monday, Aristotelous also reiterated her request for the suspension of the officer in question, saying it is the only way forward given the seriousness of the case.
Asked if she would resign if the officer was not suspended, she said it would depend on how the case unfolds.
“We are talking about a senior officer who did not hesitate to use his influence, abusing his power, and no one can question any such action during the investigation”.
Asked why she filed the complaint now if she has had the information for four weeks, she said “it’s not a simple case, but a huge corruption scandal and definitely not something warranting a complaint straight away”.
She added that the information was given to her lawyers and studied intensively, saying the complaint was made at the appropriate time. “It’s important that a complaint was made,” she said.
Inmates, their families and prison wardens staged a protest on Monday morning, expressing their solidarity with Aristotelous, who was also present.
Former inmates also attended the protest, welcoming the director with applause and calling her “Mamma Anna”.
Speaking on behalf of the staff, central prisons inspector and Pasydy representative Costas Mouzouros expressed their full support, calling for “a swift and complete investigation of her complaint.
“We condemn these practices and will stand as a shield to protect you,” he said, addressing Aristotelous.
In a letter given to the media, inmates said they feel “helpless against the urges of every corrupt officer using their access to the system in order to corrupt it.
“We are in prison as a consequence of our bad choices and see our sentences as an opportunity for reform and preparation to re-enter society,” the letter read.
“But we now have serious concerns about police officers who, unscrupulously, offer inmates money and other bribes to generate information for their personal agendas, sometimes against people who are in trial and sometimes to make sure people are convicted”.
The letter went on to accuse the senior officer of using these practices to manipulate other inmates, saying the latest incident confirmed he had been involved in several other similar cases within the prison.
They also alluded to the existence of evidence to back up these claims.
Speaking to the participants, Aristotelous said she was overwhelmed and moved by the response from not only prison staff but also former prisoners.
“The courage to come forward and speak doesn’t come from within, but from the support you receive from the people around you,” she said.
In statements on behalf of the association for the protection of prisoners’ and former prisoners’ rights, lawyer Alexandros Clerides said they demand an investigation into the complaint, but also into police practices in general.
A source told Phileleftheros that the convict implicated in the case had been telling fellow inmates the senior officer had promised to take his case up for review which would see his sentence reduced.
The reviewing committee reportedly told the daily they had not considered the inmate’s request because other cases were pending against him.
Phileleftheros reported on Sunday citing ‘sources’ that both the president and Savvides were informed about what happened a month ago.
Asked by reporters on Sunday, Anastasiades vehemently denied this, saying “there can be no tolerance, if and when what has come to light is documented”.
In statements on Monday, government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said “the issue is on the path to justice.
“We have faith in institutions, we have faith in the justice system, and we must wait and see what the findings of the investigation are,” he told reporters.
“Only then can further measures and decisions be considered, and if anyone must be held accountable, so they will be”.
Aristotelous had first made the revelations to daily Politis and alleged that the officer had sought to obtain footage which would damage her reputation.
Asked how the evidence came into her hands, she said she could not go into much detail. “What I can say, is that we have in our possession heaps of messages that appear to show that the senior officer was persistently asking for videos of my personal life from the convicted felon.”
