Opposition parties DISY and AKEL have called on the government to take political responsibility following another prisoner escape yesterday.
The opposition parties said such escapes have become routine, undermining public confidence in security.
In a written statement, AKEL spokesperson George Koukoumas said prisoner escapes from police custody have become routine, undermining both the force’s reputation and public sense of security.
“How can the police tackle more serious issues like organised crime, football violence and drug trafficking when they cannot fulfil their basic duty of guarding prisoners? When suspects and convicts keep slipping away?”, Koukoumas said.
He added that the number and frequency of escapes indicate the responsibility lies not with rank-and-file officers but at higher levels, pointing to deeper systemic issues.
Koukoumas criticised the previous DISY administration for what he called politically motivated changes to police leadership that undermined operational capabilities.
However, he noted that the current government, now in its third year, “can no longer deflect responsibility” or avoid answering critical questions about escapes, including the case of life-sentence prisoner Doros Theofanous.
Meanwhile, DISY said in a statement that the latest escape highlights “the collapse of citizens’ sense of security” with police unable to manage basic duties.
The party said these repeated escapes have become “a joke, but one with serious consequences for society”.
The opposition party called on the government to take responsibility, saying excuses are no longer sufficient.
“Society demands immediate correction and thorough investigation to identify the causes of these incidents. Only then will public trust be restored as citizens seek results and solutions”, the statement concluded.
Read more:
