Filenews 25 January 2025
A meeting of all the services involved will take place in the coming days at the initiative of the Minister of Justice and Public Order, in order to take measures to clean Nicosia within the walls from all kinds of illegality.
The first contacts have already been made with the mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, the problem has been outlined and is expected to be mapped in two main areas: The one in which the biggest problem appears concerns the area from Rigenis Street and west of Ledra Street and the other from the end of Ledra Street and east (Faneromeni up to the Omeriye mosque). Asked by "F" to confirm this development, Minister Marios Hartsiotis said that he did indeed have a meeting with the mayor of Nicosia, found an immediate response and now the next practical steps are being determined.
"It cannot be created by one school of architecture, for the Kapodistrian University to come and on the other hand for there to be accumulated all kinds of illegality with various premises in the old city," Mr. Hartsiotis said.
As he observed, from information received, premises that are for commercial use, were changed use and by placing a curtain in the window, they were converted into living quarters of an unknown number of persons. As has been said many times in the past, many people collect thousands of euros by putting people in unsuitable premises and this illegality has been going on for a long time.
The justice minister also said that from time to time there are reports that even animals are slaughtered in underground spaces, shops operate without permits, and the area has been ghettoized by legal and illegal people. As agreed with the Mayor of Nicosia, all the services of the Municipality will attend the upcoming meeting and, together with the services of the District Officer, the problems, the illegalities will be discussed and at the same time solutions will be initiated. One by one, all shops will be examined if they have an operating license, a license to sell drinks, music, etc. It is not possible, Mr. Hartsiotis stressed, to have stabbings and other crimes every now and then between persons who may be there illegally. We need to put things in order.
After the meeting, it was decided that all stakeholders along with the minister would go and walk around the area, talk with shopkeepers and residents to listen to problems and find solutions.
Among the decisions taken is to start regular checks on all those moving in the two areas where the most serious problems occur, so that those found to be staying illegally can be arrested. In order to solve the problems, Mr. Hartsiotis said, the assistance of both the local Authority and the Police and the District Administration that grants the permits is needed.
The aim is to take similar measures for the centres of other cities, with emphasis on that of Limassol where it is found that there are also similar problems with premises converted into accommodation.
