A NICOSIA lawyer yesterday lodged a complaint against two Limassol police officers, whom he claimed had verbally abused and intimidated him and his client during a meeting in which his client testified in connection with a murder case.
In a letter to the Justice Minister, the Ombudswoman, and the Attorney-general, Petros Michail charged that the two officers, an inspector and a sergeant, had verbally abused, insulted and intimidated both him and his client when they went to Limassol police HQ on Wednesday to testify in connection with the case.
Michail said his client, Rony Daccache, who is not a suspect, but was asked to testify due to his professional relation with the victim, had asked to accompany him because during a previous meeting with the inspector, the officer allegedly insulted and threatened to withhold his passport and send him back to his country.
The lawyer said he explained to the inspector the reasons for his presence, to which the officer replied: “Yes I yelled because this is not a school and we have to do our job.”
He also said: “This is how I am, I yell sometimes,” Michail wrote in his letter.
Michail then explained that his client wanted him to be present during questioning in order for him to feel secure.
The two police officers, however, asked him to leave the room, citing instructions from their superiors.
“They told me my client did not have the right to have a lawyer present while he testified,” Michail said.
He added: “I explained that there was even legislation from the European Court to the contrary but the officers insisted I should leave.”
Feeling that the climate was getting tense, he agreed to leave and remain in an adjacent room until his client finished testifying, he said.
The procedure started at 10.15am, one hour after they arrived at the station, and around two hours later – at 12.30pm — Michail asked the sergeant to give his client a lunch break.
According to Michail, he raised his voice and snapped: “I think it’s you who wants to leave and not your client.”
The lawyer said he politely and calmly explained to the police officer that this was no way to treat him.
“This is how I want to behave,” the sergeant said, according to Michail.
Michail ignored the comment and insisted on a break, but the sergeant told him his client could not go anywhere while giving testimony.
The inspector arrived on the scene and after hearing the request got irritated and started shouting at the lawyer.
“We paid too much attention to you; go to Nicosia and do these things; because you are a lawyer you think you can come in here and level everything.
“You have been creating problems since this morning,” the inspector allegedly said.
Michail said he remained calm and asked the officer to keep his voice down because “his behaviour was unacceptable”.
“He continued to shout louder and I then asked for his details in order to file a complaint,” Michail said.
To that, the insector allegedly said: “…(T)his is how I am and go wherever you want and bring another 10 lawyers if you want.”
While saying so, he was trying to force his business card into the pocket of Michail’s shirt.
The lawyer claimed the inspector continued to shout and at some point he felt he was going to physically attack him.
In the end he gave them permission to go to lunch but by that time his client was so terrified that he agreed to continue testifying without a break.
They finished at 8.15pm – approximately 11 hours they arrived, Michail said.
Michail said he left the station feeling terrified and humiliated “by the tense climate created by the officers, which made it impossible for him to exercise his duties”.
“I have a complaint over the officers’ indescribable and demeaning behaviour towards me and I am asking you to act without delay,” Michail said.
He said that he would not let the issue drop without the exemplary punishment of the police officers.
Michail added that through him, his client was also complaining about their behaviour and was asking the authorities to take action.
