Police have launched an investigation into Democratic Party (DIKO) MP Chrysanthos Savvides after he posted a video on social media that appeared to show him flouting road safety laws.
The Paphos MP, who serves on both the House Education and Transport committees, shared a video last Saturday in which he discussed recent primary school registration issues whilst apparently in a moving vehicle without wearing a seatbelt.
The Cybercrime Unit has been instructed to determine when and where the video was recorded after social media users criticised the MP’s apparent disregard for road safety regulations.
Investigators are working to verify ownership of the social media account and analyse the footage to establish whether Savvides was driving whilst filming and if he was holding his mobile phone rather than having it mounted in the vehicle.
The Traffic Department is conducting enquiries into potential traffic violations. If found guilty, Savvides could face fixed penalties of €150 each for driving without hands free and not wearing a seatbelt.
The incident comes after Savvides recently sponsored successful legislation increasing the penalty points threshold for licence suspension from 12 to 16 points. His original proposal had sought to raise the limit to 20 points before court referral for possible licence revocation.
Sources confirmed that parliamentary immunity does not extend to traffic offences should an MP be found in violation of road safety laws.
