Filenews 18 January 2024
Measures to curb crime and fan violence were discussed at yesterday's emergency meeting at the Ministry of Justice, following the explosive situation created by the latest crimes, culminating in the arson of a public prosecutor's vehicle in Pafos.
Minister Marios Hartsiotis called to his office, not only the leadership of the Police but also the police directors to listen and listen to him so that measures could be taken to bring calm and consolidate a sense of security. During the meeting, according to information provided by "F", various measures were discussed both to combat organized crime and violence in stadiums. However, everything will be codified by the weekend and its implementation will be immediate. One of the measures is to intensify the efforts of the intelligence services, increase patrols during the night, unannounced checks of criminal elements, strengthen frontline divisions, etc.
The Minister of Justice and Public Order, however, described the situation as very difficult and stressed that events such as those of the last few days, which create the feeling that the level of security is low, must be addressed and prevented. He added that the Police are better aware of its operational capabilities and asked for suggestions to immediately address the situation, both from the leadership of the Police and from the police departments of the cities. It called for the problems to be tackled immediately and decisively.
According to the ministry, the leadership of the Police undertook to operationally examine the possibility of implementing the measures discussed during the meeting and to immediately return to the minister for their implementation.
It is noted that the crime situation was exacerbated with the murders of Alexis Mavromichalis and Thanasis Kalogeropoulos late last October, where a series of criminal actions began that have damaged the sense of security of citizens. In Nicosia it was the explosion at a café/bakery on Prodromou Avenue, followed by the throwing of a grenade at student dormitories in Agios Dometios and then the two attempted murders against a 49-year-old man in Aglantzia and a businessman in Yeri.
The culmination of the illegals was the attack/arson that a public prosecutor received in Paphos. The attack, the second against a justice official in a month, alarmed the leadership of the Legal Service. Attorney General George Savvides rushed to the Presidential Palace yesterday morning and asked for the intervention of President Christodoulides to take measures to protect public prosecutors handling serious cases, while Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides went to Paphos to support the officer victim of arson.
At the same time, Mr. Savvides contacted the Minister of Justice and the Chief of Police the night before, asking for the clarification of the case and measures for the public prosecutors. In his statements, the Attorney General described the attack on a public prosecutor in Pafos as an attack on the Legal Service, Justice and the Rule of Law, indicating that "there is no room for tolerance and statements and wishful thinking are no longer enough".
He stressed that the State must protect all officers of the Legal Service, while the authorities must investigate the recent bombings against public prosecutors in Pafos. He also indicated that the three powers should, within the framework of their competences, tackle organised crime. "Both I and the Assistant Attorney General of the Republic stand by our colleagues, with our full support and support to our colleague and her family, as well as to all our officers. The Assistant Attorney General and the Chief Public Prosecutor visited Paphos early in the morning and had a meeting with my fellow public prosecutor, the Police and all fellow public prosecutors in Paphos," he said.
Mr. Savvides pointed to the measures taken since as it turned out "they are not enough", while he pointed out that threats have been made against many members of the Legal Service from time to time.
Abstinence by public prosecutors
All public prosecutors on a nationwide scale spontaneously abstained from their duties yesterday, in support of the arson and bomb attacks on their colleagues in the Pafos district.
The 50 or so public prosecutors of the Legal Service are calling for immediate measures to protect and protect themselves and their families and reveal that attacks and threats against them are frequent, both personally and on their mobile phones. The spokeswoman for the public prosecutors, Alexia Siapani, spoke of a knot that reached the scallop. "Every day we are targeted by defendants and people who are facing justice. Threats in recent times have turned into actions. We ask the State to take the necessary measures so that we too can carry out our work unhindered," he said.
