Justice minister to receive report on former police officer

Justice Minister Anna Procopiou is set to receive the report detailing the results of the disciplinary investigation concerning former senior police officer and drug squad chief Michalis Katsounotos in the upcoming days.

Katsounotos was accused of colluding with a convict in the central prisons while fulfilling his role within the police force.

The report is currently in the hands of police chief Stelios Papatheodorou, who will add his own conclusions before handing it to Procopiou.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, in case Papathodorou’s remarks will also suggest further disciplinary actions against Katsounotos, the justice minister will appoint a three-member committee and task it with filing a second report.

Following the eventual release of the second report, Procopiou will then decide whether to bestow disciplinary actions on the former senior police officer or to close the case.

The three-member committee will include a senior officer from the legal service, a senior officer from the public service and a senior police officer.

The investigating officer appointed to examine the corruption claims against Katsounotos handed the report to Papatheodorou last week.

In December, Attorney-general George Savvides said there is no evidence to support corruption claims against Katsounotos.

Instead, according to the AG, he was trying to obtain information as part of his job and tried to uncover potential offences carried out by members of the prison service.