Commenting on the suspension of the senior officer and raising a question in relation to the witness and the director of the Central Prison, legal expert Andreas Angelidis, speaking on developments in the Aristotelous case, on ANT1's midday show.
"The basic point is that the suspension is an administrative act, taken simply to prevent someone in power from influencing witnesses or the conduct of the investigation. Here it was held that the testimony which probably came from the Central Jail that it was possible for the officer to influence it. How he can influence it I do not understand. But it was decided, and he has the right to go to court if he wants to, there are many cases that have gone to court. But the question arises if he had to be removed so as not to influence the testimony, then the very director who is next to the main witness should have remained in her position?" Mr. Angelides asked.
And commenting on the fact that the witness is still serving his sentence in prison and whether he is in danger, he said "he is fine where he is."
"The question is whether the fact that there was a phone which was possessed by a convict and communicating with the outside world, whether this is a disciplinary issue that should be looked at so that those who are close to the witness do not feel and the witness in her presence some need to help the warden herself, as the officer was suspended. So therefore a disciplinary investigation with an order of removal of the director could be done at the same time," says Andreas Angelides, noting that these are questions and thoughts.
Asked to answer who could make such a decision, he said that "it is a matter of rank in the police that the director has and depending on the rank, it is decided either by the Chief of Police on his own, or by the Minister after the agreement or recommendation of the chief".
It will be recalled that earlier, commenting on the suspension of the officer, Justice Minister Stefi Drakou defended her decision, noting that she stuck to the newly established procedures and applied them strictly.
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