Drug squad officers acquitted of assault

TWO DRUG Squad officers charged with using excessive force while apprehending a drug trafficker were yesterday acquitted by a Limassol district court, ending a year-long trial.

The high-profile case, dating back to May 2002, spilled over into the political arena when Justice Minister Doros Theodorou said the Attorney-general Petros Klerides had made a big mistake in prosecuting the two officers.

That prompted an angry response from Klerides, who protested he should not be criticised for merely doing his job. Commentators said at the time that the Justice Minister was trying to protect the police force, as the conviction of the two officers would do great damage to the force’s morale and discourage officers from taking on dangerous cases.

The suspect had already been convicted not only for drug trafficking, but also for causing actual bodily harm to one of the officers who arrested him. He and officer Kyprianos Mouzouros had come to blows, and other policemen were dispatched to help out their colleague.

But yesterday the court cleared Mouzouros and fellow-officer Giorgos Christofides, ruling that the use of excessive force could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt. Moreover, the testimony provided by two witnesses was deemed “unreliable.”

Mouzouros was visibly relieved as he exited the court building to speak to waiting journalists.

“We police officers never asked to be above the law. But we want to be allowed to do our job properly,” he said.

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