Nicosia, Cyprus. Former president Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday responded to every accusation made against him in the anti-corruption authority’s Mafia State report during an hour-long address. He denied wrongdoing and referred to earlier investigations which, he said, had found no criminal offences.
Focus Maritime and Rizokarpasso Shipping payments
Anastasiades addressed allegations of abuse of power linked to payments made between Focus Maritime and Rizokarpasso Shipping. He said a previous investigation into the matter had found that he had committed no criminal wrongdoing.
He said the funds had been used to cover airline tickets for people travelling to Cyprus to vote for Disy candidate Ioannis Kasoulides in the 2008 presidential election.
According to Anastasiades, then attorney-general Costas Clerides ordered an investigation in 2014 and concluded that “the evidence did not lead to the commission of any criminal offences”, because undeclared funding to political parties during the period under examination was not a criminal offence.
Claims of influence over the investigation
Responding to accusations that he had unduly influenced Clerides’ decision, Anastasiades said the anti-corruption authority had previously found that he did not receive any money from financial contributions to Disy while serving as party leader.
He said that, in those circumstances, there was no personal benefit to him, which he described as a prerequisite for establishing that a crime had been committed.
Anastasiades also questioned why he would seek the termination of a criminal investigation into what he said was an offence that had never been committed.
He further said that if he had attempted to improperly influence Clerides’ investigation, Clerides, whom he described as not having the best relations with him, would have publicly denounced any such intervention at the time.
Laiki Bank campaign funding allegation
On allegations that he received €250,000 from the now defunct Laiki Bank in support of his campaign for the 2013 presidential election, Anastasiades said the issue had never been raised during his questioning by the anti-corruption authority.
He said he found it inconceivable that an authority would reach findings that publicly defame individuals without first asking for their positions before drawing conclusions.