Akel accuses govt of bypassing local authorities over prison site

Akel called on Friday for the justice ministry to carry out proper studies and consult with local authorities before proceeding with its decision to locate the new central prisons in Ayios Sozomenos . In a written statement, the party said it had supported the need for new, modern central prisons from the outset, yet criticised the manner in which the site had been chosen. “The ministry cannot decide on the location of such a large project without studies and without any consultation with the local authorities”, the party said. Akel pointed to the shifting location of the project as evidence of a “haphazard decision making process”, remarking that the site had initially been set for Mathiatis before moving to Ayios Sozomenos within the municipal boundaries of Dali, warning “it could yet move again”.

“Local government cannot be ignored in this way, especially in the midst of a reform, which the central state must support in practice and not undermine,” the statement said. The party called on the government and Justice Minister Costas Fitiris to reach a new decision only after carrying out the necessary studies and consulting with affected communities. The criticism follows a joint statement issued on Thursday by the municipalities of Dali and Latsia-Yeri, which demanded the immediate reversal of the site decision. The municipalities commented that Ayios Sozomenos already hosts extensive industrial and agricultural activity, including livestock waste treatment facilities, quarries and pig farms, alongside an EAC overhead power line. They also drew attention to the fact that the area falls within land earmarked for livestock farming under a national sector rebuilding plan, a factor they said could not be ignored when assessing the site’s suitability. The justice ministry…