Nicosia, Cyprus. The government on Friday defended the composition of the criminal investigation team appointed to examine allegations arising from the Mafia State report after concerns were raised over potential conflicts of interest. It said there was no conflict of interest in the appointment of the five criminal investigators.
Government response
Deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said there was “no issue of conflict of interest” in the appointment of the team tasked with examining allegations arising from the anti-corruption authority’s findings, including possible criminal offences involving former president Nicos Anastasiades and other public officials.
Speaking on CyBC radio, Antoniou said safeguards had been introduced to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Focus case exclusion
The cabinet named the five-member team on Thursday.
Antoniou said criminal law professor Christos Mylonopoulos had disclosed from the outset that he had previously acted in matters connected to the Focus case, adding that this showed “good faith and transparency”.
He said the head of the investigative team, former European Court of Justice president Vassilios Skouris, then decided that Mylonopoulos would be excluded from all aspects of the inquiry concerning Focus “so that no issue arises surrounding the process”.
Questions over disclosure
Although Mylonopoulos’ exclusion from the Focus element of the investigation was later confirmed, questions emerged over why the conflict had not been publicly addressed when the appointments were first announced.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis later confirmed that the cabinet had been aware of the issue before the appointments were finalised and said the exclusion had formed part of the agreed arrangements.
Investigation team and background
The investigative team is headed by Skouris and, in addition to Mylonopoulos, includes former Family Court president Sotiris Liasides, lawyer Nikolas Koursaris and criminal lawyer Dimitris Tsolakidis.
The appointments follow the completion of the anti-corruption authority’s investigation into allegations contained in journalist Makarios Drousiotis’ book Mafia State, an inquiry involving around 150 witnesses, approximately 200 hearings and hundreds of exhibits.
