The recent release of the Auditor General’s special report on police expenditures has ignited a wave of reactions, diverse comments, criticism, and applause.
The report, made public yesterday, covers the expenses related to the transportation of the President’s children.
In response to the report, Odysseas Michaelides has further fueled tensions with the Presidential office, a situation that has escalated in recent days due to performance-related expenses incurred by Nikos Christodoulides when he served as the government spokesperson, among other issues.
There has been correspondence between the Auditor General and the Chief of Police, Phileleftheros reports, with the latter insisting that the provision of a service vehicle and security is justified due to security concerns.
Odysseas Michaelides believes that an alternative solution should have been found, considering that providing a service vehicle to non-state officials without accompanying officials is not provided for by law.
As outlined in the report, the car, fuel, and driver used for the transportation of the President’s children should be borne by the President’s family, not the taxpayer.
While not disputing the security reasons for the transportation of the President’s children, which the report specifies as solely a matter for the police, Michaelides suggests that this could be achieved by assigning a police officer as an escort in the private vehicle used for the transportation.
The Auditor’s Office points out specific regulations in its report, stating, “We note that, based on Regulation 7(2), the First Lady is entitled to a service vehicle for exclusive use. Therefore, the use of service vehicles for the transportation of the President’s children is strictly prohibited, except if they accompany the President or the First Lady in the same vehicle designated for their exclusive use.”
The report further argues that the Chief of Police’s position would lead to the unacceptable situation of providing vehicles exclusively for individuals not covered by relevant legislation.
This issue arises for the first time as previous Presidents did not have young children, eliminating the need for their transportation. However, children of political leaders, for example, are typically transported by their guards, but with private vehicles.
Reactions
Speaking on Alpha TV and responding to the statements made by the Auditor’s Office spokesperson, Marios Petrides, regarding the special report on police expenses, Deputy Government Spokesperson, Giannis Antoniou remarked, “Mr. Petrides essentially told us that the President’s children can be transported in a service vehicle when their father or mother is in the car. So, for the children to go to school, the President must be present, who, as Mr. Petrides knows, is accompanied by a significant Presidential Guard. In other words, we’ll go to the extreme. We’ll save €10 but spend €300 to take the kids to school.”
He also added that the Auditor’s recommendation essentially suggests that someone else should drive the vehicle, followed by another police car. “We leave it to the judgment of the people,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the police, in their statement on the matter, mentioned that the transportation of the President’s children in police vehicles is allowed based on a relevant police directive.
Among other points, the police added that the specific police directive allows the transportation of individuals at risk for any reason, with the aim of protecting them.
According to Supreme Court jurisprudence, police directives are established by law and constitute secondary legislation, holding the same legal force as Constitutional Administrative Acts.
The police, as mentioned in the Auditor’s report, maintain the position that there is no abuse of power, and sensitive matters related to personal security are not publicly disclosed. In this regard, the Chief of Police invited officials from the Auditor’s Office to discuss and be informed about specific security matters; however, this meeting never took place due to a lack of response.
The President of the Democratic Party (DIKO), Nicolas Papadopoulos, deems the Auditor’s position on the transportation of the President’s minor children to school excessive.
In a post on the X platform, he wrote, “If the Police have decided that the security of the President’s children requires it, then their transportation must be covered by public funds. If, for example, their father or mother decides to take them to school, will the Auditor’s Office approve the use of the presidential car and the President’s Guard for transportation?” he questioned.
“All security matters concerning the President of the Republic, his family, and state officials are the exclusive responsibility of the Cyprus Police Force,” stated Marios Garoyian, the President of DIPA. He added, “We believe that everything else is unnecessary, and we express the conviction that it should not be the subject of public discussion.”
