Following the report by the Auditor General, who forwarded the results of his investigation to the Attorney General’s Office, the issue of prison guards’ sick leave arose.
According to statements by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Konstantinos Fytiris, following the conclusion of the Cabinet meeting, the Auditor General forwarded the results of the investigation, and subsequently, the Attorney General’s Office ordered an investigation into the matter.
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SEE ALSO: Investigation by the Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Division into the “spree” of sick leave taken by prison guards
It should be noted that the Headquarters Criminal Investigation Division is conducting a criminal investigation into prison guards’ sick leave, following the findings of the Audit Service. The Audit Office’s findings were forwarded to the Legal Service, which instructed the Police to conduct an investigation into the possible commission of criminal offenses. According to information from the police, the investigations by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) are in the initial stages and concern possible offenses committed by doctors and prison guards.
When asked about the investigation into two doctors who granted leave to prison guards at the Central Prisons, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides, in remarks made after the Cabinet meeting, said that “when a criminal investigation is underway, what is recommended—and in my view is the correct course of action—is to await the outcome of that investigation,” adding that, depending on the outcome, “we will ensure that all necessary measures are taken so that, should it be determined that any criminal or disciplinary offenses have been committed, those found guilty of such offenses will receive the corresponding penalties.”
SEE ALSO: Prison guards’ sick leave granted freely, nonexistent protocols, and zero fire safety
It should be noted that the Audit Office, in its report on the correctional facility, found that a large number of staff members take sick leave for more than 42 days, which negatively affects the smooth operation of the correctional facility.
Out of a sample of 17 correctional officers, the Audit Office found that eight had submitted a large number of medical certificates. A typical case involved a staff member who, to justify more than 200 days of leave in 2023 and 2024, submitted 111 medical certificates, 95% of which were issued by two specific doctors. “We have some indications of abuse of the system,” Giota Michael, spokesperson for the Audit Office and auditor, told Alpha, noting that for four of the eight members in the sample, a specific doctor—who does not appear to be their personal physician—issued a significant number of medical certificates without any recorded visits in the GESY system. The entire matter, he said, will be referred to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
READ ALSO: Fytiris on prison guards: “It’s unacceptable for some people to take 200 days of sick leave and then protest outside my office.”
