Cyprus president fires police chief over embarrassing escape of killer that shocked the country

The president of Cyprus has 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.

Doros Theophanous escaped while under guard during an eight-hour pass to visit family. It is the second time Theofanous, nicknamed ‘the hairdresser’, has escaped from custody.

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.

The post adds that ‘The President of the Republic exercising the powers granted to him by the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus decided to terminate the Chief and Deputy Chief of the Police Force of Cyprus and also instructed the Minister of Justice and Public Order to take the necessary actions to terminate the appointment of the Deputy Director of the Central of prisons.’

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 in the country.