A 42-year-old man was arrested and thrown in jail over a mere €2,473 debt owed to Nicosia city hall on Thursday.
The man a recipient of the Guaranteed Minimum Income, homeless, with medical problems, as well as financial problems due to which he had to give one of his children up to foster care, had fallen into a dire financial situation as he was unemployed and was forced to sleep in his car.
Social welfare took steps to make sure he receives medical care and put him up temporarily in a small hotel room.
To help him get back on his feet, he was also put on a basic Guaranteed Minimum Income state allowance of around €400 per month.
As his only income was the monthly state allowance, he was unable to pay the outstanding fine warrants, that had at that point reached the amount of €2,473, issued against him by a court in the island’s capital.
Instead of helping him stand back on his feet, some thought executing the pending arrest warrant was the right idea, thus sending him to Central Prison the day before yesterday.
Taken to prison, all the 42-year-old man said was “fortunately now that I’m here I’ll have a plate of food and a hot shower”.
