In a climate of emotion, Paralimni and the province of Famagusta said goodbye today to the Senior Police Officer and Director of the Famagusta Police Directorate, Antonis Papakonstantinou, who lost the battle with the incurable disease yesterday, Thursday, September 20, at the age of 61.
He joined the ranks of the Police on March 1, 1979 and in his long service, he worked in various departments and services, while from September 2014, he served as the Famagusta Police Director.
The funeral procession was chanted at 4 in the afternoon at the Church of Agios Dimitrios in Paralimni, headed by Metropolitan Constantine-Famagusta Basil.
The Famagusta Police Directorate, the entire Police Corps, a large number of officials and people said goodbye to Antonis Papakonstantinou, a man who was distinguished for his ethos and meekness of character, but also a distinguished and respected person in the field of Cyprus Police.
The Government was represented by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, the National Guard by the Deputy Chief, Lieutenant General Costas Chrysiliou, the Municipality of Paralimni by the Mayor Theodoros Pyrillis and the Cyprus Police, Chief Zacharos Chrysos.
At the funeral, Police Chief Zacharias Chrysostomou praised the morale, dynamism and dedication of Antonis Papakonstantinou, both as a Police Officer and as a person.
Funeral of Police Chief Zacharias Chrysostomou
"With pain of soul, deepest sadness and intense emotional charge, we address today, the last joy to a great member of the Cyprus Police, a colleague, a friend, a good family man, above all a man in every sense of the word. The Famagusta Police Director, Senior Police Officer, Antonis Papakonstantinou.
Antonis Papakonstantinou was born in Paralimni on September 26, 1957 during the Liberation Struggle '55 -'59 and was a member of a large family of six children. His father, a priest, Papakonstantis Papakonstantinou, and his mother, Cornelia Papakonstanti, raised them in a righteous, prudent and virtuous way. His father, who participated in the Liberation Struggle, during which he was arrested and tortured by the British, instilled in Antonis the Greek Christian ideals and general virtues and values that accompanied him until the end of his life, with the main ethos, the philanthropy, patriotism, a sense of responsibility and genuine concern for family, society and place.
He joined the ranks of the Cyprus Police on March 1, 1979 and during his many years of service in the Police Corps he worked in important Police Services and Departments, constantly and always showing the highest level of professionalism, zeal and dedication.
From 1979 to 1990, he served in the then newly established M.M.A.D., putting his own special position, with the dynamism, the high level of perception and the devotion that characterized him throughout his subsequent career. During his service in the M.M.A.D., he was selected and placed in the Special Counter-Terrorism Squad, a fact that demonstrates that his high level of professionalism, the great potential and abilities he had, as well as his mental and physical strength, they appeared from a very early age. He successfully participated in several important operations, including the seizure of the ship ARIBEL carrying smuggled cigarettes in 1982, in the area of Cape Greco. For his contribution to that operation, where he played an important coordinating role, he received praise from the Leadership and his superiors. His contribution to the large-scale humanitarian aid operation to besieged mountain villages due to heavy snowfall in 1988, during which he was in charge of the crew of the first helicopter that had then been procured by the Police, was also valuable. He loved MMAD and EAO very much and created strong friendships in that area, which were maintained until the end of his life. However, he successfully served from 1990 to 1995 in the Air Force Wing, now the Air Operations Unit and in the Port and Naval Police for the next two years, where he also produced important work. Particularly intense, however, he left his mark in the province where he was born and lived. He served in the Famagusta Police Department from 1997 to 2008. In the Famagusta Police Department, he worked as the Head of the Crime Prevention Unit, as the Country Officer, as the Assistant Police Director. In 2008, he was appointed Director of the Airport Security Directorate (AMSA) remaining until 2014, while his last stop was the position of Police Director of Famagusta province.
In the hierarchy of the Police he was recognized to reach the rank of Senior Policeman, as a result of his indisputable qualifications and abilities and at the same time the zeal and devotion that characterized him.
His performance as a newly recruited police officer at the Police School was high, while another proof of his skills and dedication to the Service was the acquisition of the continuing Police Cup in 1985, an important distinction received by a select few members of the Police Force. Being a student and progressive, Antonis always took care to be educated and to upgrade the level of his education and professional training, attending several trainings and retraining in matters of police, but also of general interest.
But the most important thing would be to mention and make special mention of his character and personality. "Antonakis", as Mapia's friends and wife used to call him, always tried to keep his balance and solve problems. He was meek and willing to always help his colleagues, but also every citizen who asked for help.
I feel the need at this point to share and share with you my own experience from my acquaintance and collaboration with Antonis. I got to know the man Antonis Papakonstantinou well in 2006, when I was transferred as Assistant Director to the Famagusta Police Department. At that time, Antonis was serving as the Country Manager of the province.
From the first moment I distinguished his meekness, his ethos and his rare personality. A man full of humanity, kindness, kindness, with always positive thinking and a good reason for everyone. Man of discussion for problem solving and not of conflict. He had the rare advantage of combining dynamism with sobriety. It was literally a calm force.
I was then a complete stranger and stranger in the Famagusta area. So Antonis, not only did not see me negatively or even competitively, but instead stood by me, supported me and guided me in what I needed in relation to my new duties and responsibilities.
In 2014, when I was appointed Chief of Police, Antonis Papakonstantinou was serving in the Airport Security Directorate (AAS) as Director. Taking into account and evaluating all the data in relation to his excellent professionalism and dedication to the Service, I placed him in the position of Police Director of Famagusta, a semi-occupied province, admittedly difficult in terms of policing and public security, especially during the summer.
What I always distinguished in Antonis as the Police Director of Famagusta District, was that even in the most difficult, even when the circumstances left us no room for optimism, even when I was worried and intense, Antonis reassured me, with that meekness , his patient and at the same time reassuring style, saying to me, "My boss, do not worry, we will do well, we will succeed, we will try even harder". Always cool, disciplined, completely committed to the task…
His Golgotha with health began in 2012. However, with the strength and determination that distinguished him, he struggled and managed to overcome it at that stage. Unfortunately, a few years later, in 2017, this insidious disease struck again and despite giving another brave battle, as Antonis always knew how to give, this time he did not succeed.
I will never forget my visit to the American Medical Center, where he seemed to be going through the last stage of his life. Distressed, exhausted and while it seemed obvious that he was in pain, he reached out and shook mine, with all the strength he had left, chanting "I pay my respects to my Leader, my great honor, my Leader". I managed to answer holding my emotion that the honor and joy was mine to see him. He would retire soon, he also told me that he would like to have time to spend with his family and friends. These only. With dignity, without complaint. So, as Antonis always was. Decent, measured, kind, nice man.
The Cyprus Police is losing a senior officer of the few it has ever had in its ranks. This is not defined by the moment. It is defined by his career of almost 40 years and his entire course in our Service. A course that was characterized by impeccable professionalism, dedication and zeal, but above all ethos. As a Chief, I also lose the rest of the leadership of the Corps, but also all the Officers, officers and members of the Police, a valuable collaborator, a perfect professional, a policeman who never saw his job, as a profession, but as a function. He will always be a point of reference for his colleagues, for all of us. Until the last moment he was dedicated to his duty and showed constant interest in the service.
Famagusta Police Director, Senior Officer, colleague and friend Antonis Papakonstantinou, on behalf of the Cyprus Police, the Service that you loved so much and to which you were completely dedicated for almost four decades, putting the duty to the Service, society and , on behalf of all the members, executives and the rest of the leadership and me personally, as Head of the House, your Leader, as you have always lovingly addressed me, I want to express a big thank you. Thank you for your invaluable contribution to the society, the homeland and the Cyprus Police. Thank you Antonis, because you were the personification of the Cyprus Police, as Human and Proud. Because you were what every police officer owes and should be. Decent, meek, polite, perfect professional, ethical model, above all human.
Thank you for honoring the uniform and the oath you gave, as few.
Surely Antonis, you still had a lot to give to all of us. To your family, to your extended family, to the Police, to your friends. You left without seeing your vision for the new Famagusta Police Department being completed.
May God give strength to your people, especially to your wife, Maria and your children, Konstantinos, Adamos and Dimitra, to manage this huge loss. And let the fact that you have always been a role model be a small consolation to their untold pain. Policeman, Head of Family and Man, you will stay forever in our minds and hearts. May your memory be eternal and the soil that will cover you light. ”
