Prison transfer completed

THE transfer of all inmates from the overcrowded former Central Prison on the outskirts of Lefkoşa’s Industrial Zone to the new, larger capacity Central Prison in Haspolat, has been completed.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, who said that the relocation process had begun in July.

Mr Üstel told the media during a visit to the new Central Prison that a tender to build the facility was launched in 2017, but that despite the completion of the project, almost two years ago, the new penal complex was unable to be put to immediate use.

In December 2020 Cyprus Today reported that plans to transfer to the new prison building were hampered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, insufficient staff numbers, and claims by building contractors that they were owed 45 million TL by the government. Amendments to the Penal Code were also required for the new prison to be used.

Stating that the law to open the new prison had been passed, followed by the recruitment of more prison officers, Mr Üstel said: “Today, November 1, we completed all the relocation procedures.”

He also pointed out that the new “valuable and modern prison” was “fully financed by the motherland” Turkey to the tune of 350 million TL.