Cop arrested for stealing from returned wallet

A police officer was detained over the weekend suspected of stealing money from a lost-and-found wallet after a Good Samaritan had turned it in.

Police are investigating one of their own after a concerned citizen found a wallet on Sunday with cash inside and handed it over to an officer at a police station in Limassol.

The suspect, a 51-year-old police officer, was arrested on Sunday after he received the wallet and processed it as a lost-and-found item.

Police sources told Knews investigators were examining whether the suspect pocketed a portion of the original amount in the wallet, said to have been €960 in cash.

Officials from the Internal Affairs police unit were also investigating the manner in which the incident was logged in into the electronic system. It is understood that the amount entered in the database was less than the original amount that was reported by the concerned citizen, but it was not clear exactly how much.

The police officer, who was later released from detention, is currently suspended and could face multiple criminal charges including theft, abuse of power, fraud, and dereliction of duty.