Filenews 20 July 2022
Seven million euros were collected by the special officers of the Police within seven months of the implementation of the new procedures for uncollected fine warrants. At the same time, 1,039 prison sentences were executed against people who did not meet their debts.
The new measures implemented after a meeting at the Ministry of Justice in October last year are paying off, since there is now targeted execution of uncollected warrants, while the special collection units operating in the provinces, take into account the financial situation of the debtors before proceeding with the last measure of imprisonment. The head of the new effort to solve the problem with the thousands of uncollected fine warrants and for the state to collect its receipt, has been put at the head of the senior police officer Andreas Angelidis, who, in consultation with the Court's Registry, attempts to clarify the warrants issued by the Courts, so that those that may be executed remain in the hands of the Police. For example, it was decided that the warrants pending for the companies in liquidation should be removed from the system, since they cannot be executed.
Also, there is cooperation with the Deputy Ministry of Innovation in order to computerize the entire system of warrants, so that from the time it is issued by a court, the Police are informed and when it is executed it is registered in the system.
According to the data of the Police, since 25/10/2021 when the new regulations came into force until July 5 this year, 45,283 fine warrants have been executed and the amount of €6,975,648 has been collected, an amount that is considered satisfactory given the prevailing economic conditions.
Most of the warrants were executed in Limassol (18,003) bringing in €2,056 million and most of the money was collected in Nicosia, with €2,252 million having flowed into the state coffers since the execution of 11,592 warrants.
During the same period, 1,039 prison warrants had been executed for persons who did not meet their obligations, but not all of them ended up in prison, since some began to pay their instalments and for others it was found that they were not able to afford to pay due to an unfavourable position. Mr. Angelidis stressed to "F", that those who have been sentenced to a fine and a warrant was issued against them should not wait for the Police to knock on their door, but to pay the amounts due on their own. He suggested that for those who are struggling financially, there is also the solution of the settlement through the Attorney General, where debtors can pay in instalments.
The Police always show a human face in cases where a citizen is truly unable to pay and the current financial situation is taken into account of the increasing prices of goods, electricity and gasoline, before the execution of a warrant or especially the arrest of a citizen.
