Anti-corruption authority rejected three complaints against Savvas Angelides without public disclosure

Nicosia, Cyprus. The anti-corruption authority rejected three separate complaints against deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides without publicly announcing the decisions, according to news outlet INK.

The complaints were among six forwarded to the authority by former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides in May 2023.

Separate handling of complaints

Three of the six complaints followed the normal investigative process and resulted in public statements exonerating Angelides.

The remaining three were examined separately, rejected one after another and were not disclosed publicly.

Almost two years passed before a substantive response emerged, prompting the legal service to write to the authority seeking information about the cases.

Officials said complaints of such gravity involving a senior figure could not remain unresolved indefinitely. The authority cited staffing shortages as a factor in the delay.

A response on one complaint was issued in July last year, confirming its rejection, although the authority concluded that a public announcement was not warranted.

Tax matter and bus company case

The first complaint concerned a tax matter involving the family of former minister Socratis Hasikos. Michaelides’ complaint focused on Angelides’ handling of the issue, which was dismissed without disclosure.

The second complaint involved a bus company case in which prosecutions were suspended over allegations concerning declared mileage for which the company had received state compensation.

The matter had already resulted in court convictions of company executives. Michaelides raised concerns about Angelides’ handling of the suspended prosecutions of three drivers connected to the case, but the complaint was also dismissed.