A police officer will appear before Larnaca District Court today for a remand hearing after allegedly giving his mobile phone to a detainee connected to a shooting in Larnaca on 17 January.
The officer, who serves in Larnaca CID, was arrested yesterday by the Police Internal Affairs Service and faces charges including abuse of power, fraud, abuse of trust by a public official, transferring a mobile phone into police cells, neglect of duty, breach of official secrecy, disobedience to laws imposing duty, bribery of a public official, transactions indicating corruption and illicit acquisition of financial benefit.
Police said the officer allegedly gave his personal mobile phone to a 48-year-old Cypriot national whilst executing guard duty at Larnaca Police Station cells.
The detainee, alleged to be the head of a criminal group that demanded protection money from a businessman on Grigori Afxentiou Avenue, made a number of calls using the phone. The officer allegedly provided the phone on more than one occasion.
The 48-year-old and four foreign nationals were referred to direct trial on Wednesday before Larnaca Permanent Criminal Court in connection with the bloody incident, which involved a brawl and shooting. The 48-year-old was subsequently transferred to Central Prisons as a remand prisoner.
When Police received information about the phone, investigators examined CCTV footage from the station and decided to arrest the officer.
He has been placed on suspension. The mobile phone has been seized and sent for forensic examination to establish who the detainee called.
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