Cyprus police chief resigns under severe criticism

President Demetris Christofias accepted Thursday the resignation of the Chief of Police Iacovos Papacostas, who has been under pressure lately over cases of police incompetence and use of excessive force.
Speaking to reporters before departing for Brussels to take part in the European Council, the president said that Papacostas saw him in the morning and submitted his resignation, which the police chief said was final.
The president said Papacostas had submitted his resignation when investigations began surrounding the case of Antonis Prokopiou Kita, sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and murder. Kitas was in police protective custody in a private hospital last summer when he escaped on December 12, 2008 but was re-arrested on January 5, 2009. At that time, Papacostas had offered but the president did not accept the resignation.
Two lengthy reports were prepared by investigators who handed them to the Attorney General Petros Clerides last month. During a press conference on May 25, Clerides stated he would give his final decision in June. It is expected that Clerides will make his announcements on Friday.
The uproar surrounding Kitas’ lengthy stay at the private hospital as well as the circumstances surrounding his escape led to the resignation last year of Justice and Public Order Minister Kypros Chrysostomides.
In a statement, Papacostas said his resignation is final and aims at making it easier for the president and the government to handle the Kitas case.
“My resignation was at the President’s disposal immediately after the unsuccessful police operation to arrest the escapee Antonis Prokopiou Kita. Despite this, however, and respecting the work of the investigators, I remained in the position of Police Chief to provide every possible assistance in the investigations into the case until the report was concluded”, Papacostas said in a statement.
Outgoing Chief Papacostas, brother of Defence Minister and former Akel MP Costas Papacostas, has been criticised over several other cases of police incompetence, the unwillingness of older policemen to retire and occasional cases of use of excessive force.