The police union Isotita (Equality) has criticised the force’s decision to disclose that a driver involved in a Nicosia traffic accident was an off-duty officer arguing on Saturday that the disclosure raises questions over privacy and the handling of personal information.

The criticism followed a police announcement that the 44-year-old officer had been suspended on the instructions of Deputy Police Chief Panikos Stavrou after testing positive for alcohol following a road collision.

 The officer is facing criminal and disciplinary investigations.

The union’s spokesman, Nicos Loizides, said Isotita had no objection to police confirming an individual’s profession if specifically requested, but questioned whether there was a legal basis for proactively publishing such details.

“The conclusion would therefore be that in every road collision, every positive alcohol test and every positive drug test, the police press office should publish the professions of the drivers involved,” Loizides said.

He called for clarification of the rules governing the disclosure of professional identities in cases where individuals are not acting in their official capacity at the time of an alleged offence.

Loizides said there was a distinction between taking disciplinary action against a police officer and making their occupation public.

He argued that personal data and information relating to police personnel should be treated separately.

“It is not by chance that our institution is being questioned when documents containing the names of police officers circulate so freely,” he said.

The union representative also criticised what he described as the public exposure of officers involved in incidents.

“You do not elevate yourself by exposing and humiliating others,” he said.

Police have not issued a public response to the union’s comments.

The investigations into the officer remain ongoing, with both criminal and disciplinary procedures continuing.