Filenews 4 March 2024
The alarming dimensions that organized crime has assumed in recent years and the recent attacks against justice officials, were noted by the competent bodies in their speeches at the opening of the Conference of the Law Department of the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Bar Association entitled "Organized Crime and the Cypriot Reality". At the same time, the need to review and strengthen measures to address them was stressed.
On behalf of the Minister of Justice Marios Hartsiotis, the Public Order Officer, Lieutenant Konstantinos Konstantinidis said that in recent years there has been an increase in serious crime, culminating in attacks against justice officials.
"This fact, combined with the manner and time that some heinous crimes have been committed recently, has certainly worried us all and to this end the Police have immediately taken additional preventive and repressive measures," he said.
He added that some of these measures have been announced, while others in addition cannot be made public to ensure the operational effectiveness of the Police.
Indicatively, he said that it has been decided to strengthen the Financial Crime Investigation Subdirectorate of the Police, with the aim of intensifying financial investigations to identify and confiscate proceeds from illegal activities. He also considered the establishment of a special asset investigation team for the purpose of targeted investigation of cases where the auditee's financial image is not consistent with his professional capacity and activity and there is no evidence of the commission of predicate offences.
He noted that through a constantly changing socio-political environment, rapid technological developments and increased challenges that help develop new forms and practices of crime development, everyone and especially the Cyprus Police are called upon to decisively tackle crime phenomena.
He added that in order to achieve this, all available technological tools and means must be fully utilized and at the same time strengthened and strengthened.
He also referred to the effort at European level that is currently being made to ensure the resilience of the judicial system, to tackle organised crime through measures to protect judges and public prosecutors from threats and intimidation, as well as to protect the judicial system from infiltration by members of criminal organisations.
Regarding the national legislation, he said that the adoption of the legislative framework that provides for the identification of owners and users of prepaid mobile telephony, which is pending in Parliament, will be an additional weapon in the quiver of the prosecuting authorities. He welcomed the opening of the debate by the Ministry of Justice and called for a positive conclusion as soon as possible.
He also said that ensuring public order and internal security as basic pillars of a modern rule of law, as well as strengthening and strengthening citizens' sense of security, is a top priority for the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, but also for the Minister of Justice himself and the Government.
He conveyed the assurance of the Minister of Justice that the efforts to preserve Cyprus as a safe and peaceful society for both its residents and thousands of tourists will be continuous and uninterrupted.
S. Angelidis: Organized crime no longer has inhibitions
Organized crime no longer has inhibitions, but "with frightening ease and audacity" it feels it can attack and attack even justice officials, Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides said.
Mr. Angelides also referred to the increasing threats against the officers of the Legal Service, which are now taking practical, illegal actions against them.
He added that tackling organised crime requires the involvement of all, legislative, executive and judicial branches, as well as the healthy society as a whole. He added that society itself must strongly resist this, since there is a risk that organized crime will be the desperate or ruthless solution to real deadlocks caused by poverty, social exclusion and the lack of opportunities to realize the desires and aspirations imposed by the dominant culture.
"It therefore requires effort, information, continuous study and understanding of the phenomenon and its changing dimensions, long-term planning and strategy to combat it and equipping law enforcement authorities with the necessary tools and infrastructure to be able to confront claims and determination with it," he said.
At the same time, he said that in the domestic legal order there are several legislative tools to combat this phenomenon, but they need strengthening and improvement. The Legal Service, he noted, has made a series of recommendations on the issue.
The prosecution of such offenses is difficult and laborious, he noted, while he said that as time goes by it becomes more difficult and more dangerous.
He noted that defense lawyers are also in the equation for effectively tackling the phenomenon.
Tornaritis: The Legal Affairs Committee leads the way in developing an effective anti-crime policy
The Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, Nikos Tornaritis, said in his speech that the Commission is at the forefront of developing an effective anti-crime policy within the framework of the constitutional limits governing the powers and responsibilities of the legislature. He noted that an effort is being made to strengthen the legal arsenal for the prevention and suppression of sheepish behaviour with full respect for the Constitution, laws and human rights.
Referring to the catalytic role of the Police, he said that the Committee sets as a high priority the strengthening of the operational capability and readiness of the Police to meet the challenges of our time.
He also noted that the Commission promoted and voted on a number of pieces of legislation that strengthened the legislative framework for combating corruption. At the same time, he referred to a closed session held by the Committee on Organized Crime in the presence of all competent bodies. He also said that the highest priority of the Commission is a medium-term plan to reduce the problems in prisons and the need for their relocation.
He stressed the need to work together to send a strong message about readiness to defend democracy and the balance of the system and for the rule of law to prevail.
The President of the Law Department of the University of Cyprus, Costas Paraskevas, said that the Department is at the forefront of the study of Cypriot law and its development in a way that responds to the demands of modern society and the challenges at national and international level.
He also said that with the Conference he seeks to contribute to the effort to understand the various aspects of organized crime, on the one hand in the Cypriot legal order and on the other hand at international level.
He noted that in modern times with rapid upheavals and technological developments, organized crime and corruption assume forms and dimensions that go beyond the borders of states and impose both international and cross-border cooperation.
Vorkas: Need for a holistic approach to organised crime
In his speech, the President of the Cyprus Bar Association, Michalis Vorkas, said that it is important that organized crime is seen again and taken into account through a holistic approach to take effective measures, not piecemeal ones. Measures, he said, that will also help strengthen trust between law enforcement authorities and citizens.
In this holistic approach, in addition to examining the extension and tightening of criminal law and the more decisive intensification of criminal repression mechanisms, he said, necessary targeted prevention actions are needed, focusing on updating the education and information of competent authorities, cooperation in information exchange, strengthening the digital capabilities of law enforcement authorities and transnational cooperation. bilateral but also those formed within the framework of important international institutions.
He said that a key parameter for the analysis of organized crime is the focus on the state and its structural functions.
"It must be made clear that the stronger a state is, the less space it leaves internally for the emergence and development of phenomena such as organized crime that undermine its sovereignty, its functioning and inevitably social normality," he said.
He also said that the GPP can play an essential role, both in relation to legislative work and on a practical level, by submitting substantiated proposals for the prevention and suppression of criminal activities.
"The colleagues of the GPP Committee on Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and the Law of Evidence have the knowledge and experience to contribute to dialogue and practice," he said.
He added that the GPP through its own institutions does not and will not tolerate its members acting in a way that aids in promoting, consolidating and increasing crime.
CNA
