Nicosia, Cyprus. A total of 37 applications have been submitted for the position of head of the central prison following the suspension of former prison director Anna Aristotelous, local media reported on Friday.
Applications and selection process
According to Philenews, the public service commission received 37 applications after the post was advertised at the end of January, with submissions closing on February 20.
The position is classified among government posts that require evaluation under the public service laws of 2022 to 2025 and is ranked as a combined A15 and A16, with A16 being the highest public service salary scale.
Candidates are required to undergo assessments at examination centres under procedures set by the public service commission. Successful applicants will be invited to an oral interview, after which the most suitable candidate will be selected.
Salary scales
The A15 scale provides an average hourly gross wage of €40.5, with annual gross earnings ranging from €71,491 to €86,505. The A16 scale has an average hourly rate of €44.83 and can reach up to €96,429 in gross annual wage.
Background to the vacancy
The call for applications followed a decision by the justice ministry, which is responsible for prisons, that the appointment of directors and deputy directors should be independent of other services.
Aristotelous previously worked as a senior officer at the justice ministry before being appointed acting director of prisons in 2014 and head of the Cyprus prisons department in 2016.
She and the central prison’s senior officer Athina Demetriou asked to be transferred from their posts in 2022, one day after the deputy attorney general announced an investigation into the prison following the discovery of classified state documents in the residence of the prisons’ chief warden.
Aristotelous and Demetriou requested to be removed from their positions once the two inquiries were concluded, regardless of their outcomes.
What do you think the selection process should prioritise when appointing the next head of the central prison?
