EVALUATION OF THE 152 GUARDS FOR POLITICIANS AND STATE OFFICIALS

 Filenews 3 November 2020 - byMichalis Hatzivasilis 

It finally opens the issue of guards of political persons, state officials and foreign diplomatic missions, after consultation of the Minister of Justice and Public Order and the Chief of Police.

The issue was raised before the new Speaker of the House, Adamos Adamou, called for a reduction of his guard. According to a statement by the Minister of Justice to "F" Emily Yolitis, in consultation with the Chief of Police on Monday 26/10/2020, it was agreed that the guards should be re-evaluated for all politicians. The Police Headquarters Risk Assessment Committee has already been instructed to assess each of the cases currently available to a police guard and to make recommendations.

Today, according to our information, 152 police officers guard political leaders, ministers, former and current state officials and embassies. The cost to their payroll exceeds ONE million euros. At a time when there are more than 600 police officers fewer due to departures – resignations and each police officer is necessary for the performance of police duties.

From a first glance at the list of political leaders currently guarded, there seems to be ground for reductions, and any suggestions from the Commission will be made taking into account the current risk conditions for each protected person. It will also take into account the heavy climate that exists today at the expense of politicians, following the publication of the video of Al Jazeera with the involvement of the former Speaker of the House Dimitris Syllouris and the resigned ACPL MP Christakis Giovanis.

Any suggestions for guard reductions will be led by the Minister of Justice to the Cabinet, which is also responsible for making the final decisions. In addition, any reductions will be made after the affected have been informed and explained to them the reasoning that led to this decision. Today, political leaders have six guards or three depending on their political power in the House, while former presidents of the Republic and the House are honoured. The ministers, the Government Representative and the Attorney General, have two police officers, while former EDEC president Vasos Lyssaridis has two guards.

As far as embassies and diplomatic missions are concerned, the risk assessment will be carried out in the current circumstances. Due to the situation in France at the moment the country's embassy in Nicosia is considered to be more at risk than any other diplomatic mission so it is guarded by armed police officers, as well as the US embassy as well as embassies of Muslim countries.