The case of a conviction involving staff at the Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority (KIB-TEK) has sparked public discussion. The Electricity Engineers Union (EL-SEN) stated that the staff member in question was sentenced to two years in prison for serious offenses related to public resources. EL-SEN emphasized that if this conviction becomes final, retaining the concerned personnel in their position would be unlawful.
EL-SEN Secretary General Hüseyin Peksever indicated that a court decision of conviction was issued for a worker due to the crimes of “embezzlement, forgery of official documents, passing forged official documents into circulation, qualified fraud, and embezzlement.” Peksever stated that if the conviction is finalized, the KIB-TEK Management Board and administrators’ efforts to keep this staff member in their position could not be merely viewed as a personnel matter.
Peksever stressed the seriousness of this situation in terms of protecting KIB-TEK’s reputation, securing public resources, maintaining workplace peace, and ensuring a sense of justice, noting that ignoring the crimes established by the court’s decision is unacceptable.
He highlighted that KIB-TEK management must act in accordance with the current laws and regulations regarding personnel actions. He demanded that disciplinary regulations be enforced against the conviction and that the employment contract of the concerned personnel be terminated.
Peksever invited the relevant Board of Management to comply with legal requirements and collective bargaining agreements, stating that fair practices must be carried out to preserve public resources and KIB-TEK’s institutional reputation. He also emphasized that no political will or management board would be allowed to create special laws for individuals within public institutions.
Furthermore, Peksever pointed out the necessity of enforcing disciplinary processes against a staff member with a finalized heavy conviction and called on the KIB-TEK Management Board to publicly announce whether the conviction has become final. He stressed the need for transparent communication with the public.
Peksever also requested the impartial application of the disciplinary process within the framework of the current Public Law and Collective Bargaining Agreement and urged the sharing of detailed information regarding the issue. He underscored that disciplinary actions necessitated by the conviction should be implemented without delay.
EL-SEN stated that they will take legal and union-related actions on this matter in the future and will keep the public informed about the process.
Source: www.yeniduzen.com
