Nicosia, Cyprus. Attorney-general George Savvides on Wednesday defended his decision to recuse himself from the anti-corruption authority’s Mafia State report investigation, telling parliament the move was necessary to preserve impartiality. He said the decision to step aside had been taken solely on grounds of objective impartiality.
Committee appearance and Sandy case
Appearing before the House legal affairs committee alongside deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides, Savvides also confirmed that the file relating to the Sandy case is currently being examined by the Law Office. He said prosecutors are assessing the next steps, including whether criminal charges should be filed.
Response to criticism
Responding to criticism over the handling of the Mafia State investigation, Savvides said that had the office acted differently, it would have faced severe criticism. He described the office of the attorney-general as “a very lonely role” and said decisions are taken independently of public opinion.
He said that since taking office, decisions have been made without regard to public reaction, whether positive or negative.
Calls for resignation
His comments came after Akel MP Andreas Pasiourtidis argued that both the attorney-general and his deputy should resign to remove any perception of conflict of interest. Pasiourtidis said the Law Office could not simply abstain from the process while acting as a “messenger” and added that the situation created institutional deadlocks that could not be broken.
Hamburger case and transparency
Asked separately about the decision to release convicted criminal Charalambos Chrysanthou, known as Hamburger, Savvides referred to a previous public statement issued by the Law Office, saying it addressed the questions that had been raised.
While acknowledging the need for greater transparency, he said there were cases where full disclosure was impossible because of ongoing criminal proceedings and other legal interests. He added that improving the Law Office’s public communication was currently under consideration.
