The number of complaints filed with the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police is increasing from year to year, as stated today by the President of the Authority Andreas Spyridakis, after the presentation of his annual report for 2010 to the President of the Republic Dimitris Christofias…"There is a 22% increase since 2009 of the cases" that reach the Authority, said Mr. Spyridakis, adding that "in 2010 there were 137 complaints, of which 4 cases have been prosecuted by the police involved".
These cases, as stated by the President of the Authority, "concerned abuses during the arrest", but "in these cases we still do not have a final decision of the Court", said Mr. Spyridakis, adding that "there are 20 cases out of 137 that are being investigated ”.
"Half of them," he continued, "concern human rights violations, there is a case of intrigue, corruption and there are about 60 other cases involving misconduct and negligence."
"A serious case," said Mr. Spyridakis, "was that of corruption and intrigue by a member of the police force, but it could not be substantiated and so it did not proceed."
According to the President of the Authority, this case concerned the illegal receipt of money by this police officer, but "it has not been substantiated and he could not proceed".
Regarding the pending cases of 2011, Mr. Spyridakis stated that "so far there are about 117 cases and several are pending".
"The relations with the Chief of Police, which in the beginning, when I took over," said Mr. Spyridakis, "were somewhat difficult, they are improving, they have ups and downs, but we aim at good cooperation with the Police, for his good of society as a whole ”.
This, as clarified by the president of the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police, is due "to the mentality that the Police has always had, but they improve, with understanding and understanding, in joint meetings with its leadership".
Asked if they have found specific cases of the Police refusing to comply with the Authority's instructions, Mr. Spyridakis said that "they may have existed in the past".
"As I said," he added, "they are improving, there are ups and downs."
"However", concludes Mr. Spyridakis in his report for 2010, "with regret we realize that some complaints against members of the Police are justified and there are indeed serious problems within the Police".
"Consequently, the police force itself", continues the president of the Authority, "must wish the existence and proper operation of the Authority, an independent control mechanism, which guarantees an objective and impartial investigation of the complaints against its members".
"We hope", states Mr. Spyridakis, "that in the future all members of the police force will understand that it is in the interest of both themselves and the whole body, their cooperation with the members and investigators of the Authority".
"We have given the 2010 annual report to the President of the Republic", said Mr. Spyridakis, adding that the work and action of the Authority, during 2010 and for the first half, were chaired by the first President of the Authority, of the late Giannakis Agapiou, continued with the vice president Despina Kyprianou and the underling, with my appointment made in the last two months of 2010 ”.
"We have reported to the President", continued Mr. Spyridakis, "the problems faced by the Authority, the work it has done, the President has shown understanding for both the problems and the work that the Authority is doing".
Answering a question about the problems faced by the Authority, Mr. Spyridakis stated that it is "an effort to amend the existing legislation, something that is in its solution, so that the Authority and its budget as a separate Authority do not fall into the Ministry of Justice and Public Order ”, since“ this Ministry is the political head of the Police and the Authority examines citizens' complaints against the Police ”.
"Apparently," said Mr. Spyridakis, "it will be included in the budget of the Ministry of Finance, despite the initial position of the Authority, that it would be more appropriate if it were included in the budget of the Legal Service".
Source: KYPE