Hartsiotis and AKEL clash over Cyprus’s crime record, as Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis hit back at opposition criticism, saying 67 murders took place under AKEL’s administration, 12 of which are linked to organised crime.
Speaking on CyBC, Hartsiotis accused AKEL of running “a factory of populism and misinformation”, responding to comments by AKEL MP Aristos Damianou after Wednesday’s Legal Affairs Committee session on organised crime.
“What did AKEL do when it was in power?” the minister asked, arguing that the party’s criticism is politically motivated. He also noted that Damianou did not attend the committee meeting in question.
Responding on the same programme, Damianou said that “when someone holds public office, especially as a minister, they must be able to withstand criticism”, adding that political debate should not be personalised. He insisted that AKEL has a full picture of what was discussed in the committee.
Meanwhile, DISY MP Nikos Georgiou also intervened, describing some of the minister’s comments during the committee session as “misguided”. He referred to the bill on lawful surveillance, saying that such tools should already be available to the police.
Hartsiotis replied that the bill is currently under review by the Legal Service before being submitted to the Cabinet and then to Parliament. Asked why his response to Georgiou was less forceful than to Damianou, the minister said it was because he “did not hear the DISY MP spreading misinformation.”
The Hartsiotis and AKEL clash reflects broader tensions within Cyprus’s political scene, as debate intensifies over crime, justice, and government accountability.
Also read: Demosthenous murder: Police examine items left behind
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