A prison guard, an inmate and the prisoner’s wife were ordered held for eight days on Thursday over allegations they ran an illegal “shop” from a prison cell selling items to other inmates at inflated prices.
The three suspects appeared before Nicosia District Court facing charges of conspiracy and bribery, while the prison guard faces additional charges of abuse of power, extortion by a public official, corruption offences and money laundering, the court heard.
Police investigator Sergeant Makis Nikolaou told the court that an inmate had given a statement claiming he was forced to buy products from the imprisoned suspect at black market prices.
As an example, Nikolaou said a packet of cigarettes that sells for 4 euros at the prison convenience store was being sold by the inmate for 12 euros.
The prison guard, who was responsible for the wing where the inmate was held, allegedly allowed the prisoner to sell these products in exchange for 50 percent of the profits, according to the investigator.
The court heard that inmates would pay the prisoner’s wife using Paysafe cards or through Akis Express, and she allegedly paid the prison guard using a credit card.
After considering the police request, the court ordered all three suspects detained for eight days to facilitate the investigation.
