The security detail for ministers, deputy ministers, and commissioners is currently under review, while Odysseas Michaelides and Pheidias Panagiotou are being assigned a two-officer police detail, with the Police Spokesperson explaining the mistake made regarding the security detail for Presidential Commissioner Marios Hartsioitis.
Speaking on the Alpha News program, Auditor General Andreas Papakonstantinou stated that a complaint had been filed regarding Mr. Hartsoti, they evaluated it since the situation seemed unusual, and upon investigation, irregularities were found to have occurred in 2010–2011.
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“Over time, we realized that, although there is a regulation in place and it is not a privilege granted to anyone, except for the President of the Republic, who has the Presidential Guard; for everyone else, it is not an honorary privilege granted, regardless of whether they belong to a parliamentary party or not. There is a regulation; there is a procedure for assessing the risk, and on that basis, a recommendation is made to the Chief so that he may decide.”
Mr. Papakonstantinou states that explanations were requested via a letter sent to the Minister of Justice, who responded immediately.
“I also spoke with him on the phone yesterday; he is determined to bring order to the situation, as he has told us—that is, to ensure the regulation is properly enforced. The goal is not to reduce the number of police officers or to limit appointments to members of parliamentary parties. That is not the correct approach. The approach is to provide protection to those who need it—whether they are citizens or officials—based on a risk assessment. Yes, they should have a security detail. So the number may increase or decrease.”
Regarding the case of Mr. Hartsotis, as Mr. Fytiris also mentioned, it will be evaluated in the very near future. As for the transfer process involving the police officers—a sergeant and a patrol officer—and whether they were from the Presidential Guard, he states:
“We had a question regarding whether these two police officers were transferred from the Presidential Guard, which doesn’t make sense. The Presidential Guard cannot simply lend out any officer. We have not confirmed this. We are awaiting the completion of this process so that we can have the final assessment and the final decision regarding which officials or other individuals will be assigned a guard detail.”
When asked whether the use of official vehicles is also under investigation, he replied that this had already been addressed with the assurance that Mr. Charsiotis has ceased using his official vehicle.
“Indeed, he had admitted that he had used the official vehicle exclusively for personal purposes—that is, he took it home— but these were isolated instances; we decided not to pursue the matter further because we have been assured that this practice has now ceased.”
Mr. Papakonstantinou also referred to cases in which, even though an individual had been assessed as posing zero risk, a security detail was assigned.
“We have observed that this risk assessment committee classified quite a few individuals as posing zero risk. They noted in the assessment that the risk was zero, and then we saw that approval had been given for police officers to be present. So you can understand that this is what we want to put an end to. It must be based on risk.”
Regarding operational readiness and the duties of the guards, Mr. Papakonstantinou responds that control does not lie with the Chief, though the Audit Office is monitoring the situation.
“First, this bad practice must stop—it’s no secret that we’ve seen police officers going to supermarkets, going to places where that is not best practice; that is not the proper use of a police officer. Especially now that the police force has so many other needs. It’s a waste of public resources. We will not accept this. However, I believe that the Minister has taken such initiatives and actions that we are optimistic that we will soon have a sound, effective practice in place.”
Among the decisions to assign security details to individuals posing no risk, he includes former First Ladies.
“When this practice gradually began to receive approval from the Cabinet, starting in 2010 and onward, I believe, as I see it, that there was abuse, and this approval was granted in some cases more as a matter of honor than on the basis of risk,” says Mr. Papakonstantinou.
He is in favor of reevaluating the guard every six months or every year. When asked if he could specify the amount spent each year, he states that it is a significant sum, given that approximately 100 police officers are employed.
From the President to Hartsotis
When asked, the Press Spokesperson for Police Headquarters, Byron Vyronos, stated that historically, the Commissioners have had a guard detail and, operationally, were subordinate to the presidential guard.
“This is a correction regarding the recommendations made by the Auditor General. The Commissioner had his own security detail, but they were assigned to the Presidential Guard; a correction has been made.”
Regarding the duties of police officers who take on guard duties, Mr. Vyronos emphasizes that they are given instructions and are required to follow them. As for the periods during which the person they are guarding may be abroad, he states that the guards have been informed and will be informed again as to where they should report in such a case; otherwise they must use their leave.
“The practice that was followed—and the one I was personally familiar with—was that in cases where they were abroad for a period of time, they would use their personal leave. Now, however, the directive is that if they do not wish to take leave, they must report for duty at specific units that will be assigned to them.”
He clarifies that the guard is assigned for security reasons and not to perform other tasks or to serve the individual’s family. “All information and all complaints we receive are investigated,” he states.
He also notes that the first phase of the evaluation process has been completed, and the evaluation of ministers, deputy ministers, and commissioners—as well as private citizens—began at the start of the week.
“A specific procedure has been established in accordance with the minister’s instructions, and once this process is completed, it will be repeated every six months,” he concludes.
