Justice and Public Order Minister Costas Fytiris used his first appearance before the new House Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday to warn that the state was losing ground to organised crime — and to lay out an ambitious legislative agenda to fight back.
“Organised crime has advanced so far that it is already watching us. We are still debating whether surveillance should be permitted to combat organised crime,” he said.
His immediate priority is a harmonisation bill targeting money laundering from illegal activities. The bill has not yet been submitted to parliament but will be soon, Fytiris said, with the aim of confiscating assets that cannot be justified by legitimate income.
On telephone surveillance legislation, he said the committee would first discuss its intentions before any changes were made and the bills put to a vote. Tackling organised crime was essential so that young people could live in a safe society, he added.
Fytiris also called for a package of 38 bills on the reform of the Law Office of the Republic and oversight of the Attorney General’s decisions to be pushed to a vote, noting that the previous parliament had already discussed them at length.
Juvenile detention
The meeting turned contentious over juvenile detention. AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtidhis accused the government of breaking the law for four years, pointing out that legislation requiring the separate detention of juveniles had been passed but never implemented. Cyprus was in breach of its European obligations, he said, and parliament was not prepared to grant any further extension.
Fytiris said the juvenile prison would be built in Mennogia, blaming the delay on the Public Works department. There are currently 15 to 20 juvenile detainees, he said, and plans are being considered to partition the detention areas at Mennogia to also accommodate approximately 80 female prisoners. He said he could not commit to the facilities being ready by the end of the year.
Police reform and crossings
On police shift changes, Fytiris said the government would take a coordinated rather than piecemeal approach, with the aim of strengthening frontline officers. Tenders and other administrative functions currently handled by the police would be transferred to the ministry, he said, and a tender for body cameras for officers would be announced in the coming weeks.
Asked about crossings to and from the occupied north, Fytiris said the government was considering criminalising under the Green Line Regulation the use of unofficial dirt road crossings. The current situation — where those arriving via dirt roads are simply directed to official crossing points — was creating problems, and solutions were being discussed, he said.
New prison
Construction at the new Mathiatis prison facility is targeted to begin before the end of 2027. Planning is under way, an agreement has been reached with the Development Bank, and Fytiris said he hoped to present the master plan to local residents by the end of September.