POLICE yesterday arrested the 22-year-old accomplice of escaped convict Antonis Prokopiou Kitas after he turned himself in.
Rodosthenis Christodoulou, who has been on the run since he allegedly helped Kitas escape from a private Nicosia hospital on December 12, handed himself over to authorities at around 11am yesterday. He was accompanied by a relative.
The Geri village man was immediately handed over to the criminal investigators appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kitas’ incarceration, his subsequent escape and events during the 25 days the 42-year-old killer was on the run.
DNA evidence is said to put the 22-year-old both in the escape car and in the apartment in Ayios Theodoros where he is believed to have spent New Year’s Eve with Kitas.
Reports said Christodoulou gave a two-hour statement. He will appear in court today for his remand hearing.
The Justice Minister yesterday reiterated that there would be no cover up surrounding the circumstances of the double rapist and murderer’s escape. Loucas Louca gave his assurances to a group of opposition DISY representatives. The DISY members told the minister they expected the issue to be examined exhaustively and to leave no stone unturned.
Louca promised that responsibility would be apportioned where it was due and also stressed his commitment to modernise and reorganise the police force and Central Prisons. He said he would do this by abolish some departments and integrating others so as to make both services more effective.
Meanwhile, Attorney-general Petros Clerides yesterday received the Interior Ministry report into how Kitas was issued a passport while he was in jail serving a life sentence.
Interior Minister Neoklis Sylikiotis said the report was an administrative investigation into the incident and that based on its findings the AG would decide whether anyone should be held culpable.
“He will decide if there is disciplinary or criminal responsibility and launch an investigation. If there is a criminal offence the police will investigate, if there is a disciplinary offense the competent authority is responsible for its investigation, which in this case is the Interior Ministry’s permanent secretary,” Sylikiotis said.
A Health Ministry investigation into why two Medical Councils reached two completely different decisions regarding the lifer’s medical treatment while he was being treated for gastric reflux at the Appollonion private hospital is still pending.
Kitas has continued to say nothing over his escape. Initially he gave authorities a five-hour statement which he subsequently tore up. He is still in isolation at the Central Prisons.
