The Council of Ministers appointed criminal investigators who will examine any potential offences arising from the allegations made by Makarios Drousiotis in his book “Mafia State” on Thursday, following the relevant report issued by the Anti-Corruption Authority.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that the Council of Ministers had appointed a team of independent criminal investigators.
The team will consist of Vassilios Skouris, Emeritus Professor of Public Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and former President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, who will serve as head of the team, Christos Mylonopoulos, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Athens, Sotiris Liasidis, former judge, Nikolaos Koursaris, lawyer specialising in criminal proceedings and Vice-President of a committee of the Nicosia Bar Association and Demetris Tsolakidis, criminal defence lawyer and member of the Criminal Justice Committee and the Criminal Law Subcommittee of the Cyprus Bar Association.
Letymbiotis said that the decision had been taken pursuant to Article 4(2) of the Criminal Procedure Law, with full respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, the rule of law, the powers of the independent institutions, and the need for a full, objective and impartial investigation into the findings of the Authority’s report.
He added that the criminal investigators would operate within the established legal and institutional framework, with the task of investigating the matters set out in the Authority’s report. Their appointment will last for six months, with the possibility of an extension should they submit a written and reasoned request to the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers also approved the provision of the necessary administrative support, as well as suitably equipped office premises, to enable the criminal investigators to carry out their work efficiently and without interruption until the completion of the investigation.
‘The decision taken today reflects the Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and strengthening public confidence in the institutions. At the same time, it confirms our full respect for the independence of the competent authorities and the judiciary, for the procedures prescribed by law, and for the presumption of innocence’, Letymbiotis said.
Responding to a question as to whether the opinion of the investigative team would be sought regarding the appointment of a private prosecutor, he said that this was a matter falling within the remit of the Law Office of the Republic and not the investigative team.
Asked whether it would be straightforward for the investigators from Greece to familiarise themselves with the Cypriot legal system in carrying out their work, Letymbiotis said this was precisely why Cypriot investigators were also included in the team.
‘This has certainly been done before, and we have seen that it has worked’, he said, noting that the Greek investigators were highly respected professionals with extensive experience.
In response to another question, Letymbiotis said that, from the moment the Independent Authority Against Corruption announced its findings, and considering the number of individuals named and their positions, it had been clear that assembling the team would be challenging. In addition to possessing the necessary expertise and experience, members of the team also had to be free from conflicts of interest or any other special relationship with any of the individuals mentioned in the Authority’s announcement, he said.
Nevertheless, he added, ‘the Council of Ministers today appointed a team of distinguished legal experts with extensive experience, and from today they begin their work in assisting with the investigation of the report, the announcement, and the full findings, which exceed 3,000 pages’. The aim, he said, is to complete the investigation as swiftly as possible.
He also said that the independent criminal investigators would work in cooperation with the Police, who would assist with the investigation.
Replying to a further question, Letymbiotis said that if the criminal investigators required legal assistance, this could potentially be provided in cooperation with the team of prosecutors at the Law Office of the Republic, given that both the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General had recused themselves from the case.