Filenews 28 December 2021 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
More than €1.5 million were collected from the execution of fine warrants in two months, after the Auditor General prepared a relevant report highlighting the problem and following instructions from the Minister of Justice to intensify efforts.
It seems that the appointment of a coordinator who monitors the process of locating and executing the warrants is paying off, since from 25 October, when a meeting was held at the Ministry of Justice on the matter until 23 December, 10,125 warrants were executed and €1,629,079 was collected, which is considered quite significant compared to what was received in the previous period. This was achieved after the change in the procedures for locating a person, but also the intensification of efforts to ensure that a debtor who has money but avoided paying his surtax or social insurance, is now convinced and does so. A typical case is that of a company that today performs, among other things, a rapid test, which paid the amount of €100,000 with one instalment, for delayed social insurances concerning its staff.
According to data from the Statistics Department of the Police, most of the warrants were executed by the Ulamos execution of warrants in Limassol, while most of the money was collected in Nicosia. Specifically, in Limassol they were executed in the last two months after the procedures changed, 3,644 warrants and €429,038 was collected, in Nicosia 2,548 warrants were executed and €523,861 was collected, in Larnaca 1,689 warrants relating to €104,522, in Paphos another 1,599 warrants were executed for the amount of €269,691 and in the province of Morfou 117 warrants were executed for the amount of €31,478. All warrants relate either to convictions of traffic offences or to contributions for social security.
It is expected that now during the holidays the actions of the local Ulamas will languish for obvious reasons and then resume dynamically, in order to identify persons who for years managed to escape detection and consequently the payment of their debts. According to information from "F", emphasis will also be placed on companies that owe significant amounts and have begun to reactivate, but avoid paying their employees' social security or any fines. At the same time, there are people known to society who until now for various reasons have not even been approached by the police to be asked to pay the fines to which they have been sentenced by courts, so efforts will be made to do so now.
