Prison warden suspected of smuggling from north

A prison warden has been put on leave pending an investigation after he was accused of leaving work while on shift to smuggle cigarettes from the north.

Initial findings confirm that the prison official crossed north during work hours, with data from the checkpoints showing that crossings took place during his shift.

This has been confirmed to have happened six times during 2021, 11 times in 2022, and five times in 2023 – meaning 22 such crossings in that time.

It appears that he may have filed for overtime during these trips, Alpha reported on Monday.

The justice ministry has launched an investigation into the “very serious case”.

Justice Minister Anna Procopiou then requested the prison official be placed on leave, while a disciplinary investigation has been launched.

It is not immediately clear how the senior prison official was found to be smuggling cigarettes, but the report stated that his behaviour and attitude riled his colleagues who in turn reported their suspicions to the justice ministry.