Presidency denies it is refusing to comment on Pandora Papers

The presidency rejected suggestions on Thursday that it had refused to attend a meeting of the House ethics committee that discussed the so-called Pandora Papers, which implicated two Cypriot law firms, including the one bearing President Nicos Anastasiades’ name.

Opposition MPs censured the presidency for not appearing before the committee, along with the Legal Service and the anti-money laundering unit, which also failed to attend the meeting on Wednesday.

In a statement on Thursday, the presidency said Anastasiades had written to the chairman of the committee on October 27 making it clear that he was not avoiding scrutiny but was seeking the opportunity to submit his positions after all other views were heard.

Seeing that members of the committee consider that all other views have been heard “the presidency will submit substantiated responses in the next meeting”, which will take place on December 1.

The Pandora leaks exposed the offshore financial dealings of many leaders worldwide who allegedly stashed assets in covert companies and trusts.

The two Cypriot firms named in the papers are the one founded by Anastasiades, which still bears his name, and Demetrios A. Demetriades LLC.

Anastasiades has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing after the law firm he founded was accused of hiding the assets of a former Russian senator behind fake beneficial owners in a secret report filed with financial regulators in the British Virgin Islands.