AVRAAM Charalambous, the Drug Law Enforcement Unit’s second-in-command, was yesterday remanded in custody for eight days in connection with the escape of a convicted murderer and rapist from a private hospital last month.
Charalambous is the second officer from the unit under investigation, the other being sergeant Yiannos Yiannakou. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, abuse of power from a civil servant, illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of bullets, illegal possession of explosives and aiding in the escape of a prisoner.
The remand hearing took place at Nicosia general hospital, where Charalambous is being treated after falling ill under questioning earlier this week.
Charalambous’ lawyer claims his client is being framed by convict Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, a.k.a. ‘Al Capone’, who was recaptured earlier this month after weeks on the run.
Kitas has told detectives that he and Charalambous were in cahoots in an operation-gone-bad to arrest a Turkish Cypriot drugs baron. He has also claimed that the officer helped him evade recapture by alerting him to the whereabouts of police.
Countering, Charalambous says he was acting on behalf of the police force, and that he kept the leadership informed of his contacts with the convict.
In a further twist, yesterday Charalambous claimed that on the night of 12 December – when Kitas escaped from hospital and was later involved in a shootout with Drug Squad officers – Charalambous had dinner with Police Chief Iacovos Papacostas and the head of the Drug Squad at a Larnaca taverna.
This, Charalambous says, means it was impossible for him at the time to be in contact with Kitas. The convict, however, alleges that Charalambous was aware he planned to break out of the hospital that night, and even that Charalambous had instructed sergeant Yiannakou to assist him with the escape.
In light of these latest allegations, deputy Attorney-general Akis Papasavvas yesterday did not rule out that the Police Chief himself might be called to give a statement to investigators. He also did not rule out that further members of the police force might be placed under arrest.
