2C.L.H. 1988May14 (A.L01ZOU,P..MALACHTOS,DEMETRIADES,STYUANIDES,PIKIS,KOURR1S,JJ1 THEATTORNEY -GENERALOFTHEREPUBLIC, Applicant, v. 1.PANAYIOTISAGAPIOU PANAYI,ALIASKAFKARIS, 2.CHARALAMBOSANTONIOUMICHAEL,ALIASAEROPOROS, 3. ANDREASANTONIOUMICHAEL,ALIASAEROPOROS, Respondents. (CriminalApplication No. 1/88). 5 Criminal Procedure —Change of venue — The Criminal Procedure Law, Cap. 155, section 174
(1)(
- a)(
- d)and (e)—Principles applicable —Grounds ofsecurity,riskofescape, calm atmosphere conducive tothe ends ofjustice,areamong thereasonsjustifyingan orderforchange oftheplace oftrial. The facts ofthiscaseappear sufficiently from thejudgmentof the Court. Application granted. Casesreferred to: 10 Attorney-General v.Steniotis
(1967)2C.L.R.295; Attorney-General v.Rossides
(1970)2C.L.R.105; Attorney-General v. Tsekouras
(1973)2C.L.R. 341; Attorney-General v.Pavlides
(1978)2C.L.R.437. Application. 15 Application by the Attorney-General of the Republic under section 174(l)(a)(
- d)and (
- e)of the Criminal Procedure Law, Cap. 155 foran orderof the Courtforthe transferto Nicosia fortrial of Criminal CaseNo.23069/87 whichwascommitted fortrialbefore theAssize Courtof Limassol. 83 Attorney-General».Ka&arl·
(1988)Λί. Triantafyllides, Attorney-General of the Republicwith TV. Charalambous, Senior Counsel of the Republic, for the applicant. Chr.Pourgourides, forthe respondents. A.LOIZOU P.gavethefollowingjudgmentofthe Court.Bythe 5 present application, made under Section 174(l)(a)(d) and (e)of the CriminalProcedureLaw,Cap. 155,theAttorney-Generalof the Republicseeksfrom thisCourtan orderfor the transfer toNicosia of thetrialof CriminalCase No.23069/87whichwascommitted for trialbefore theLimassol AssizeCourt. 10 The grounds upon which the Attorney-General relies for his application are set out in an affidavit filed in support thereof, although under subsection 3, of section 174 of the Criminal ProcedureLawitwas notnecessary fortheAttorneyGeneraltodo so. The accused have been committed for trial for very serious offences, such as conspiracy to murder, commission of premeditated murder and others. The grounds given for the makingofthe orderinclude,interalia, theriskswhichmayexiston accountof the daily transportationof the accused from Nicosiato 20 Limassol, such transportation being essential inview of the fact thatLimassol hasnosuitable placeof theirsafedetentionfor long periods.Alsothatthereisreliable informationthatpossiblyserious incidentsmayoccurintheCourtinLimassol,botιasregardsthe accused themselves as well as the Police, and a serious risk of 25 escape duringthetrial of the case without excluding thefact ofa possible attemptto escape in a mannerthatwill exposehuman livestodanger. The provisions of Section 174 of theLaw have been judicially interpreted interalia inthecasesof TheAttorney-Generalof the Republic v.Steniotis
(1967)2C.L.R.295; TheAttorney-General of the Republicv. Rossides
(1970)2 C.L.R. 105; TheAttorneyGeneral of the Republic v. Tsekouras
(1973)2 C.L.R.341;and 77ieAttorney-Generalv.Pavlides
(1978)2C.L.R.437. We need nottherefore repeat these principles-,suffice itto say thatparagraph (e)ofSection 174
(1)provides «thatsuch anorder : sexpedient fortheendsofjustice»,andbyourCaseLaw grounds of security, the risk of escape of the accused, and a calm atmosphereconducive totheends ofjustice have been included amongthosecovered underthewideprovision ofthisparagraph. 84 15 2 C.L.R. Attorney-General v.Kaftaria A.LoizoaP. Weareoftheviewthatwhenthereisaseriouspossibilityofany of the aforesaid groundsoccurring,thisCourt isentitled andwe may say,it hasa duty to grant the order applied for, being expedientfortheendsofjustice. 5 Forthese reasonsthe Court grantsthe application andorders that the trialofthe said casebeheldinNicosia by theLimassol AssizeCourttowhichithasbeencommitted.Thecompositionof thesaidAssizeCourtisamatterofdirectionsoftheSupremeCourt andinfacttheyhavealreadybeengiven. 10 Theorderissubject tothetermthatallcostsresultingfrom the transfer ofthe .ase,suchascostsofdefence witnesses,travelling expensesofcounselandotherexpensesshallbepaidoutofpublic funds. Order accordingly. 85