The picture of corruption is pitch black and not easily glossed over

Opinion corruptionpresident anastasiades The picture of corruption is pitch black and not easily glossed over President Nicos Anastasiades Corruption Relevant News The picture of corruption is pitch black and not easily glossed over 24 June 2026 That December day… 24 June 2026 More heat records expected as deadly ‘Omega’ heatwave grips Europe 24 June 2026 Aristos Michaelides 24 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Perhaps all Nikos Anastasiades really wanted to say yesterday was that “the Independent Authority Against Corruption did not accept and dismissed as unfounded and unsubstantiated the claims presented in most chapters and subchapters of the book Mafia State.” He went through them almost point by point, trying to prove that Drousiotis had been refuted, and that what the report attributes to him has nothing to do with the accusations the former collaborator made. He made a point of stressing repeatedly that “Drousiotis’ claims have not been confirmed in the slightest,” that he is “an author who should be considered unreliable,” and that after the report there is an increase in toxicity, name-smearing, character assassination, and even the hero-worship of the inventor of fiction for Sandy.” This may have been the tactic of a political strategist: divert attention elsewhere. It could also have been the product of irritation — and that’s putting it mildly — provoked by his former collaborator. But the key point is that at this stage, it no longer matters what Drousiotis wrote in his book, or what is unverified. That chapter is closed. It is closed by the report, which came after two years of investigation. That report, in seven cases — even if based on the now-famous balance of probabilities or reasonable suspicion — attributes to him “trading in influence,” “abuse of power,” or “attempted commission of a criminal offence.” Yet all these points were lost in the unnecessarily long, tiresome speech Anastasiades delivered. He would have made a far stronger impression if, for example, he had highlighted that in one case the report explicitly notes that regarding the misdemeanour of abuse of power, “the former President’s interventions appear to have been well-intentioned during a period of economic crisis and were not undertaken for personal gain.” Why then the accusations? Because, as the report states, his well-intentioned interventions did not fall within his official duties since they are not covered by Articles 47 and 48 of the Constitution. So, what on earth? Are we supposed to expect the head of state to ignore the economic crisis just because it is not explicitly in his remit? By emphasising this, he might have earned some understanding. But he didn’t — he “stuck” on his former collaborator. The essence is that both the report and everything else — including the judgments of many prominent figures who speak publicly, and the so-called public tribunals on social media — paint a comprehensive picture of corruption. It now weighs unbearably on Anastasiades’ ten-year tenure. And that image will not change with a press conference, or ten conferences. Let Nikos Anastasiades talk for ten hours if he likes — argue, persuade, fail to persuade — it will not alter the perception, nor will it salvage his legacy. The only real possibility, and even that cannot be stated with certainty, is that all these cases reach the courts after criminal investigation, are examined thoroughly there, and judicial decisions are announced beyond any reasonable doubt. Everything else is meaningless. Not because Anastasiades should not defend himself, but because public opinion on a decade of corruption has already taken root. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News That December day… More heat records expected as deadly ‘Omega’ heatwave grips Europe Law Office shelves former DISY MP Sykas’s domestic violence case, citing insufficient evidence Overnight pharmacies on Wednesday, June 24 Cyprus extends fuel tax cut to August as Iran war keeps energy prices elevated EY launches enterprise-scale agentic AI to redefine the audit experience for the AI era Nicosia confirms Board of Peace will meet in Cyprus, but island played no organising role Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.