Policeman being investigated for allegedly falsifying overtime logs

A police officer in Paphos is under investigation for allegedly defrauding the state, following reports that he filed overtime pay applications without actually working, police said.

According to police spokesman Andreas Angelides, the officer pocketed hundreds of euros in overtime pay over the last year.

The officer was said to have falsified log reports to make it appear that he was working on Sundays and holidays, without actually ever reporting for duty. The false logs were filed from January 1, 2014 to February 28, 2014. The officer applied for overtime pay by presenting the logs at the police district accounting department.

Angelides made clear that this was not a disciplinary investigation. “We are handling this as a criminal investigation. The officer is under investigation for corruption, abusing authority, falsifying reports and obtaining money under false pretences,” he said.

He said the officer wasn’t the only one under investigation. “The logs were supposed to be verified by a higher ranking officer. We are looking into whose responsibility was to check the logs and if need be launch an official disciplinary investigation,” said Angelides.

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