The Interior Ministry has ordered a second hand delivery of a letter to the Chief of Police after the original became the subject of conflicting official accounts. While the ministry maintains that the document was delivered by hand, Cyprus Police said it had not received it.
Fresh instructions were issued for the same letter to be sent again after it emerged that the first delivery had not been officially recorded.
First delivery remains unaccounted for
An Interior Ministry source told Politis that the original letter had been addressed to the Chief of Police.
According to statements published by Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, the letter asked police to examine whether Makarios Drousiotis’ online fundraising campaign falls within the scope of legislation governing public collections and whether the circumstances could indicate that any criminal offence had been committed.
Cyprus Police, however, said it had no record of receiving the document.
“It has not been received. Once it is received, it will be studied and a decision will be made accordingly on any action. We have nothing in our hands,” police said.
Second hand delivery ordered
Following the public statement from police, the Interior Ministry issued new instructions for the letter to be sent again on Wednesday to the same recipient, the Chief of Police.
According to information obtained by Politis, the second copy was also dispatched by hand.
The ministry was therefore required to send the same request twice, as the first letter had not been recorded as received despite the ministry’s position that it had been dispatched through the proper procedure.
It remains unclear what happened to the original document or at what stage of its delivery or internal handling its receipt was not recorded.
The Interior Ministry has launched an internal inquiry to establish what happened to the first letter.
What police have been asked to examine
The letter concerns the online fundraising campaign launched by Makarios Drousiotis to cover the costs of his legal defence and court proceedings.
The Interior Ministry has asked police to determine whether the campaign falls within the scope of fundraising legislation and whether the available information could point to any criminal offence.
Police said it would assess the matter and decide whether further action is required only after receiving and examining the relevant material.
The ministry also reiterated Ioannou’s position that “the Interior Ministry is not pursuing anyone and is not seeking to destroy anyone”.
