Police suspended over murderer’s escape return to work
The three special operations police officers who were suspended from their duties in the aftermath of the escape from custody of 42-year-old convicted double murderer Doros Theofanous have returned to work, police spokesman Christos Andreou confirmed on Friday.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Andreou said the trio would be returning to their duties on Friday after their suspension ended.
To this end, he said the investigation being carried out into the matter is “in its final stage”, and that as such, a report with recommendations will soon be sent to the police’s leadership.
The recommendations of the investigation will then be examined by the police’s leadership to determine whether the trio committed any disciplinary offences, given that they had been assigned to transport Theofanous to his family home and keep him secure while there.
Theofanous appeared in court over his escape on Tuesday alongside a 26-year-old man who stands accused of being his accomplice in his escape.
He had initially absconded while at a family function in the Paphos district village of Choletria, before eventually being found in Limassol a week later.
Police spokesman Christos Andreou said that from the moment of Theofanous’ disappearance, crisis centres were set up at police headquarters and at the central stations in Limassol and Paphos under the chief of police.
President Nikos Christodoulides sacked his police chief Stelios Papatheodorou and his deputy Demetris Demetriou after Theofanous disappeared, while also giving instructions to Hartsiotis to dismiss acting director of prisons Charalambos Philippides.