Embattled police chief to stay in post

Police chief Stelios Papatheodorou is to remain in post after Justice Minister Anna Procopiou said the matter was closed on Thursday.

Procopiou said: “there is no longer any question of suspending [Papatheodorou].”

She also said that a meeting has been planned for next week involving herself, President Nikos Christodoulides, and Papatheodorou at the presidential palace.

Akel was quick off the mark with the reaction to the news, ridiculing Christodoulides for what they perceive as indecisiveness.

“Instead of Christodoulides plucking a daisy over whether the Chief of Police suits him or not, he should make decisions and put an end to the pulp fiction which he himself reinforced with his words,” they said.

They said Christodoulides’ attitude “discredits the institution of the Presidency, worsens the insularity of the police, and impacts their effectiveness via a chain reaction”.

“The handling of the issue constitutes a new example of helplessness and indecisiveness on the part of Christodoulides, who, instead of governing, continues to pursue a communication policy which, of course, convinces fewer and fewer people,” they said.