THE CONFLICT between the police chief and their union representative is a problem, not making anyone happy, Justice Minister Loucas Louca said yesterday, calling on all sides sort it out.
“Everyone involved should assume their share of the responsibility for the sake of the police and the public in general,” Louca added.
The police association (SAK) representative Andreas Symeou this week sent a letter through his lawyer to the chief of police, Michalis Papageorgiou, demanding an apology, and the retraction of comments and procedures against him.
The action comes after Papageorgiou on Monday ordered a disciplinary investigation and initiated suspension procedures against Symeou.
Symeou allegedly behaved inappropriately during a Limassol headquarters inspection when he seized the opportunity to raise another issue – that of the outstanding criminal proceedings against him.
The proceedings against Symeou are related to the alleged “inhuman and degrading treatment” of individuals during trouble at the Apollonas-AEL football match on October 30 last year.
Four complaints were originally filed against Symeou by members of the public, and Attorney-general Petros Clerides decided early last week to launch proceedings for two of those complaints.
During the Limassol visit, despite Papageorgiou “politely” pointing out it was not the right time to discuss that issue, Symeou insisted and later cut in and allegedly insulted the chief “showing a lack of respect” for Papageorgiou, his immediate superiors and the rest of the officers, a police statement read later.
“Papageorgiou has launched some very serious accusations against [Symeou] and if he doesn’t apologise, we will sue him and the state,” Symeou’s lawyer, EVROKO’s Rikkos Erotokritou said on Thursday.
SAK and government workers union PASYDY on Tuesday condemned the “unacceptable decision” to investigate and possibly suspend Symeou and demanded its withdrawal in order to restore police labour relations.
The ongoing row between SAK and the police chief was triggered over a disagreement on police work timetable and escalated when SAK waged an ultimately successful battle to win the right of officers to join PASYDY.
Symeou said last week that he was being persecuted for being a unionist, an accusation denied by police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos as well as from Papageorgiou himself.
