AN INVESTIGATION has been launched to discover who was responsible for taking mobile phones, screwdrivers and a webcam into Nicosia Central Prison, after the items were uncovered in the prison wardens’ locker room.
The latest discovery was just one in a string of incidents where inmates were caught with mobile phones and other banned items, reportedly with the cooperation of the prison’s wardens.
The Central Prison’s Deputy Governor, George Tryfonides, yesterday announced that workers at the prison would from now on be searched manually – as well as going through metal detectors – while he added that whoever disagreed with the new measures would have to find another job.
“Unfortunately my suspicions have been confirmed that possibly, with all that is going on with mobile phones and drugs in the prison, members of the prison’s staff are implicated,” said Tryfonides.
“From the moment that these items were found in the staff room, there are two certain possibilities: either wardens brought them there to sell them to certain people, or some wardens were offering protection to prisoners and were keeping them in their office. These are unacceptable developments.”
Tryfonides said he had previously raised the issue of including body searches of wardens and anyone entering the prison, to ensure nothing is being smuggled in.
“This incident now gives me the right to move ahead,” he added. “And those who don’t like it shouldn’t come to the prison, they should find work elsewhere.”
Tryfonides insisted that anyone refusing a body search would from now on be banned from entering the Central Prison.
“We can’t have employees, wardens in uniform, lead to the events we have in front of us,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Justice Ministry, Petros Kareklas, yesterday held a meeting with Tryfonides and spokesmen for the wardens at the Central Prison.
Speaking afterwards, Kareklas said it was a “sad incident” and added that the police were currently in the midst of investigations to find out who had put the items there.
A team of the Nicosia CID, he added, yesterday continued to interrogate witnesses. The mobile phones, screwdriver and webcam, said Kareklas, had been taken away for scientific testing in a bid to locate the culprits through DNA.
On behalf of the wardens, Andreas Oratis, said that the wardens were at the disposal of the prison’s management and were prepared to assist investigations to locate the person responsible.
This is not the first time the prison wardens have been connected to smuggling banned items into the prison.
In November 2009, the Ombudswoman issued a report connecting prison wardens to drug smuggling in the prison.
In the 50-page report, which she handed over to Justice Minister Loucas Louca, Iliana Nicolaou said there was a great possibility the wardens were responsible for drugs circulating the prison, “because in essence only prisoners and visitors are subjected to the relevant specialised checks upon entry”.
And in April this year, Prison security inspector Stamatis Tarapoulouzis claimed prisoners serving life sentences were given free reign at the prison to sell drugs and clothes, while they had their own TVs, computers and even pet tropical birds.
Tarapoulouzis was testifying in court during the trial of suspended prison governor Michalis Hadjidemetriou, regarding the latter’s suspected involvement in the December 2008 escape of convicted rapist and murderer Antonis Prokopiou Kitas.
