Filenews 7 October 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivassilis
The new tactics used by the Police to collect debts from unexecuted warrants issued by the courts are paying off, since a year after the procedures changed, almost €10 million were collected.
Indicative of the fact that the picture improved after the auditor general's report on incorrect tactics by the Police, is that in just one day, in targeted operations nationwide, €95,632 was collected from uncollected warrants. As can be seen, many who have been sentenced to a fine by a court, avoid paying it, with the result that there is an accumulation of uncollected warrants and millions of euros are left out of the public coffers.
The Police have found that many deliberately avoid paying their fines by going beyond the system, either by giving false residency details, or by managing to fool the police officers. There are many cases where while the police officers visited them in their homes, they denied that they were the one that the Police were looking for, but a relative. To stop all this, the Warrant Execution Units at the Police Directorates, under the director of the A' Department Andreas Angelidis, are now moving in a targeted manner, after now evaluating each case separately.
The day before yesterday, targeted campaigns were carried out in all provinces with very good results, which shows that people are paying, as long as they are identified. The campaigns took place in places where they are either frequented by enough persons to check whether fine payment warrants are pending against them, or in places where it is estimated that there are warrants (bookmakers, clubs) or even at the barricades. Many have seen that while they have been sentenced to a fine and are not paying it either intentionally or because they are experiencing financial difficulties, they go to the occupied territories for the casinos or to obtain petrol. Also, persons who refuse to pay their extrajudicial documents and their debts to the state, have money to make trips abroad for leisure purposes.
In order to put an end to these phenomena, police officers carry out checks at the entrances or passages from Cyprus or barricades and stop those who are found to be avoiding paying their fines.
According to data obtained from the Police from 25/10/2021 when the new practices were implemented until yesterday, 62,586 warrants were executed that brought to the state coffers an amount of €9,667,858. Most warrants were executed in Limassol with 24,662 of which €2,816,722 were collected, followed by Nicosia with the execution of 15,814 warrants and the collection of €3,035,081. In Larnaca, 9,372 warrants were executed that brought in receipts amounting to €1,604,278, followed by Paphos with the execution of 8,902 warrants that brought about €1,424,564, Famagusta with the execution of 3,233 warrants and the collection of €670,605 and finally the province of Morphou where 603 warrants were executed for the amount of 116,608 euros.
Also, last Tuesday, 499 warrants were executed in one day in targeted operations nationwide and €95,000 were collected. In Nicosia alone, 273 warrants were executed, yielding €66,000.
It is noted that those who are unable to pay the full amount can come to an arrangement with the Legal Service, however it appeared that some take advantage of this process, since they pay the first instalments and then stop. It is expected that with the implementation of e-justice the procedures for registering warrants will become easier and there will be a quick execution of a warrant.
