The truth about the report cannot wait

Opinion corruptionpresident anastasiades The truth about the report cannot wait Drousiotis Anastasiades 1 1 1024x630 Relevant News Stop dragging your feet — make decisions swiftly 25 June 2026 The truth about the report cannot wait 25 June 2026 Even Trump got angry over ‘rockets and feathers’ 25 June 2026 Frixos Dalitis 25 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Council of Ministers should have definitively closed the issue yesterday regarding the appointment of criminal investigators for the case stemming from the Independent Authority Against Corruption’s report on the book Mafia State. Announcing the intention to appoint investigators was a step in the right direction — but it was not enough. The government has had ample time to prepare and should have had the names of the investigators ready yesterday, as announced by Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis. Their appointment would have marked the immediate start of proceedings. It would have demonstrated responsiveness and decisiveness, allowing the process to move forward without delay and yield results. This is the essence of the matter with the Authority’s report: it is not about Nikos Anastasiades or Makarios Drousiotis. Nor is it a political tug-of-war over which party committed the greatest scandals. The core issue concerns democracy and how we understand it. Immediate investigation of the report’s findings — whether accurate or not — is an essential condition for any modern state that prioritises its citizens. It is the state’s duty and responsibility to provide answers to the questions raised, to assign responsibility where it exists, and to dispel the cloud of doubt hanging as a grey zone between society and state institutions. The contents of the report, whether referring to criminal corruption or to a pervasive, corrosive system of power reaching across every level of the state, provoke disgust, anger, frustration, suspicion, and a host of other negative feelings toward both individuals and institutions. Right now, a serious societal issue is unfolding. A minor political earthquake is taking place, the consequences of which may only become visible later — but not far off. That is why the matter must be resolved as quickly as possible, ending this cycle of uncertainty on one side and so-called “people’s tribunals” on social media on the other. At this point, the former President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiades, is correct when he demanded at a press conference the immediate investigation of the report’s contents. Regardless of whether the claims attributed to him are accurate or of how persuasive his answers were, he is right to call for urgent scrutiny. This chapter must be closed swiftly and decisively, in a way that ends the ad hoc social media tribunals where anyone, for any reason, pre-judges and condemns. At the same time, the completion of the criminal investigators’ work must restore a sense of justice. There should be no lingering shadows or suspicion that the state or its institutions have failed to act appropriately. Beyond that, the case may well mark the peak of public debate over the critical issue of corruption in Cyprus. The crucial difference this time is that the discussion is not limited to vague claims or general accusations. The allegations are documented, specific, and presented to society through an official report. This makes the need for immediate, thorough, and independent investigation of everything in the Independent Authority Against Corruption’s report even more urgent. In a democracy that respects itself, there can be no shadows without answers and no serious allegations left unchecked. Restoring citizens’ trust in institutions requires transparency, accountability, and clear conclusions. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Stop dragging your feet — make decisions swiftly Even Trump got angry over ‘rockets and feathers’ Prospecta Development: Paphos shifting to modern community living Wealthy nations reap huge benefits from immigration, study finds Russian woman critical after running naked in Limassol street and testing positive for fentanyl Things to do on Thursday, June 25 Wild animals do not belong in city centres, ALMA says as it calls for Limassol Zoo to close Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.