Cyprus president fires police chief and deputy over the embarrassing escape of a convicted killer

The president of Cyprus has fired the chief of police, his deputy and the acting director of the country’s central prisons complex

UN General Assembly Cyprus (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The president of Cyprus on Sunday fired the chief of police, his deputy and the acting director of the country’s central prisons complex following the embarrassing escape of a convicted murderer while under guard during an eight-hour pass to visit family.

Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis posted on the social media platform X that President Nikos Christodoulides decided immediately on his return late Sunday from New York, where he attended the United Nations General Assembly, to replace Police Chief Stylianos Papatheodorou and his deputy, Demetris Demetriou.

Taking the reins of the island nation’s police force is Themistos Arnaoutis while Panikos Stavrou has been appointed as his second in command.

Letymbiotis said the president could recommend that Constantinos Constantinides take over as acting Central Prisons director.

Christodoulides wasted no time on his return following the escape of Doros Theophanous, who is serving a life sentence for the 2011 murder of his 24-year-old pregnant partner and her 4-year-old daughter.

A nationwide manhunt culminated in Theophanous' arrest earlier Sunday reportedly after he was recognized while shopping at a Limassol convenience store.

Three police officers and four prison guards who where guarding Theophanous, 42, while he attended a family get-together at their Paphos home have been suspended pending an investigation into possible dereliction of duty and other disciplinary offenses, according to a Justice Ministry statement.

A 26-year-old man is also in police custody on suspicion that he aided Theophanous in his escape by driving him away from his guard detail.

The escape whipped up much public indignation at the debacle that left a stain on the police force’s reputation as Christodoulides grapples with widespread perception of official corruption and ineptitude.