JUSTICE Minister Doros Theodorou yesterday defended Deputy Police Chief Soteris Charalambous’ outspoken opposition of a decision to prosecute Health Minister Dina Akkelidou, but stopped short of supporting a similar opinion.
Speaking to reporters, Theodorou said although the police force does not take a stand against the Legal Services, members of the police are allowed to take a stand concerning matters within their expertise and that he would not gag any civil servant wishing to do so.
On Tuesday, along with other public figures including the President, Charalambous said he opposed Attorney-general Solon Nikitas’ decision to charge Akkelidou with meddling in the course of justice after sending a letter to a Larnaca judge over an ongoing drugs case.
Asked his stand on the difference of opinion between the police and the Legal Services in the Akkelidou case, Theodorou said there was no police stand on the Legal Services.
“A stand against the Legal Services was taken by a person, who is a member of the police, and as I have said in the past, while I am in office no civil servant will be silenced when talking about matters of his or her expertise,” he said.
He added that although a member of the police, or any civil servant for that matter, was allowed to express an opinion if it was within his expertise, “what matters, what matters to us is the Legal Services’ stand, the Attorney-general’s stand”.
But when asked if he shared Charalambous’ opinion on the matter, Theodorou remained evasive.
“That is not important. What matters is that I implement the Legal Services’ decisions,” he said.
The minister also pointed out that he was not “covering” for anyone, despite implications to the contrary. In fact, he said he had voiced the opinion that civil servants would not be gagged long before the current case.
He also stressed that Akkelidou had not been given any special police treatment or forewarned of the charges about to be pressed against her, following news reports that she had been tipped off by police. Theodorou explained that a fuss had been made over nothing and that by chance Akkelidou happened to have made a call to Charalambous when leaving the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, which was overheard by a reporter who assumed she had been charged that day, when in fact she had been charged the day before.
