Mafia State: Disy calls for more investigation, Akel demands prosecutions

Political parties on Tuesday called for further investigations into allegations of abuse of power made against former president Nicos Anastasiades in a report released by the anti-corruption authority on Tuesday. In a short statement, Disy said the report “must be fully investigated, as is the recommendation” of the anti-corruption authority. “Besides, this constitutes our clearest stance for a coordinated investigation of every complaint, with respect for the presumption of innocence. We will continue to serve the principles of transparency everywhere, checks and balances on everything, and zero tolerance for anything reprehensible,” it said. Akel, meanwhile, was much more verbose, saying that the report “confirms what even the stones in Cyprus know about the government of Anastasiades and Disy”, “The system of vested interests set up by the Disy government and Nicos Anastasiades indulged in a gigantic feast on the backs of the Cypriot people, humiliated the state and its institutions, and embarrassed the country internationally,” it said. It added that “regardless of the investigation in question and the possible criminal offences, the blatant and scandalous conflict of interests of Nicos Anastasiades and his ministers in the golden passport industry, which they set up in a series of other cases, was from the beginning and remains self-evident”. The “golden passport scheme” was the moniker given to Cyprus’ now defunct citizenship through investment programme. Akel said “the criminal offences attributed by the anti-corruption authority to Nicos Anastasiades … are extremely serious and shameful for the president of the country”. As such, it called for Anastasiades to be criminally prosecuted, and for both attorney-general George Savvides and his deputy Savvas Angelides, both of whom were appointed by Anastasiades, to “not be able to influence the course of the prosecution”. “The accused must be brought to justice and the guilty must be put in prison. Impunity cannot continue any longer,” it said. It added that the political life and state of affairs installed by Anastasiades are “a shame on the country”, and that “the fact that Disy insists on defending and boasting about him offends the intelligence and the dignity of the public”. “We expect the leadership of Disy, and also [incumbent President] Nikos Christodoulides, to take a stand, even now,” it said, before saying that “the system of vested interests set up by Nicos Anastasiades did not end with his departure from the president’s office”. For this reason, it said, “the dismantling of the system is the whole of society’s demand, and constitutes the minimal duty towards the dignity of the people and the country”. Elam said that it wished to “reiterate” its “firm position in favour of the examination and thorough investigation of all allegations”. “We demand that all the report’s findings be handled by the competent authorities, with full transparency in all aspects, especially those concerning the possible commission of criminal offences,” it said. It added that “regardless of who the report concerns, we expect that the investigating authorities will bring to justice any person or persons who, on the basis of evidence, have committed any offence”. “We respect the independence of and decisions taken by all institutions but, given the need to avoid any shadows, we expect that the appointment of any investigators will be decided by cabinet,” it said.