by James
27. November 2009 10:45
Criminals in Action
You are never too old to enjoy a game of poker, certainly if you are a poker playing Granny and live in Southern Cyprus. The down side is that you might just find yourself banged up in a police cell. Forty-two elderly women found themselves on the wrong side of Greek Cypriot law after a private poker and gin rummy session round one of their houses resulted in the group being taken off to jail en masse and booked, before being released.
The arrests took place on Sunday after neighbors starting complaining about the noise of the women’s movements to and from the house. On arriving at the private home, police found several rooms containing poker tables, chips, playing cards and approximately €100 in cash.
The women were aged between seventy-five and ninety-five, and one of the ladies, said on the event “It is unbelievable that people would even complain about such a game. If police around the world start busting up gin rummy games, there are going to be a lot of elderly people heading to jail.” I’m just curious to know the overcrowding situation of the Cyprus gaol system before they start sending senior citizens to face a penal colony
As one lady, who just happens to be 87 said, “Most of my friends are widows and at our age there is not much to do. For years now we organize afternoon tea parties at our houses each week, on a rotating basis. We get together, drink tea and play cards. We only gamble a few Euros and it’s all just for fun. The only thing police achieve by doing such raids is to ridicule women of a certain age.”
The women have been charged with illegal gambling and will have to appear in court at a later date. Although they could face jail they are more likely to receive a small fine instead.
I’m definitely not retiring to Cyprus. (Ed)
The Face of Crime