A police investigation into possible disciplinary offences against drug squad chief Michalis Katsounotos may take up to a month, Justice Minister Stephie Dracou said on Thursday. Her statements came as Akel blasted the legal service for operating as a tool to cover up the government’s dirty laundry.
“The public understands that behind the government-prison-police triangle, there is a dark backstory and dirty laundry for a lot of people. This is why the government wants to cover everything up,” Akel said.
The outcry came a day after Attorney General George Savvides published a report outlining there was no evidence of corruption against Katsounotos, over his efforts to secure a video of prison director Anna Aristotelous and her deputy Athena Demetriou.
It added there was no public interest in prosecuting him as his efforts were directed in trying to bring light to offences carried out in the prisons. The report said there may be grounds for a disciplinary investigation on the grounds of abuse of power and the offence of conspiracy. Both offences carry a two-year prison term and/or a fine up to €2,562.
According to Dracou, it is in the hands of the police to decide what steps to take, though it is expected the police chief will assign an investigator who may take up to a month to investigate the case. The investigator may ask for more time if there is a lot of witness material.
If the police chief finds there are grounds of a disciplinary offence, he will ask for a three-member committee to examine the case comprising of a senior member of the legal service, the public service and from the police. “I will approve of this committee,” Dracou said.
The AG’s report prompted Aristotelous and her deputy to announce they were leaving their post and require a transfer to a different government job. They said Katsounotos’ actions to collaborate with a convict in prison in an attempt to secure video footage of them constituted as a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights.
Following their announcement, auditor general Odysseas Michaelides posted on Twitter that his office was looking for staff and would be happy to have capable people such as them on his team.
Speaking to reporters, Justice Minister Stephie Dracou said she had yet to receive a formal transfer request. “It is not a matter for me if Ms. Aristotelous is transferred, it goes to the public service. But I have asked my staff to examine this and inform me about what procedures must be followed.”
“There will certainly be transparency in my decisions and actions.”
This is the second time Aristotelous and Demetriou have asked to be transferred from their positions since the scandal broke in June.
Asked to comment on Aristotelous’ work during her tenure in the prisons, Dracou said “she has successfully implemented the rehabilitation policies of President Nicos Anastasiades and my own. From that point onwards, there are some court decisions which highlight murders were planned from inside the prisons and there were mobile phones there too.”
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