Interior ministry rejects MP’s claims of irregular appointments

The interior ministry on Thursday panned Diko MP Zacharias Koulias after he asserted that 27 senior civil servants were appointed without written exams because they were ‘connected’. In parliament, Koulias spoke of a “mega scandal” in that the civil servants in question landed the job without sitting the written exam. This, he said, meant that other candidates – perhaps more qualified – were sidelined. In addition, the individuals were posted in the district of their preference, close to home. Responding later in the day, the interior ministry said Koulias’ claims had “nothing to do with reality”. It said the positions in question concerned seven directors on the A15 pay scale, plus 20 senior functionaries on the A13 pay scale. All these appointments were done by the book, the ministry stated. It cited the relevant law, according to which the advisory committees retain “discretionary authority” to subject candidates to an oral exam only. The committees took into consideration the results of the oral exam, as well as the candidates’ qualifications and prior experience. The evaluations of all the candidates, along with recommendations, were then submitted to the Civil Service Commission. The number of candidates was four times more than the vacancies. Moreover, said the ministry, the appointing body is the Civil Service Commission and not the interior ministry. “Obviously Mr Koulias made the remarks being unaware of the prescribed procedure for filling these vacancies,” the ministry noted. In also expressed surprise that Koulias was now making noise about the matter two years after the appointments took place. The ministry said all the appointments were published in the government gazette.