Team of experts due in Cyprus after audit office complaint about defence ministry

A team of experts will be flying to Cyprus early in June after the audit service filed a complaint about the defence ministry’s refusal to share documents connected to a corruption investigation in the national guard, it emerged on Friday.

According to a statement from the audit service, President Nikos Christodoulides has intervened in the matter, and called on the defence ministry to fully cooperate with the audit service.

The row has been going on for months with the attorney general siding with the defence ministry, saying the audit service did not have enough reason to access the requested data.

The efforts from the audit service were connected to a corruption and bribery investigation it wanted to begin after it received a report that children of state officials or those associated with high-profile relatives have “favourable and privileged” treatment when they serve in the national guard.

Following ardent refusals from the defence ministry and the failed recourse from the attorney general, the audit service filed a report to the international organisation of supreme audit institutions (Intosai).

A team of experts will be flying in on June 6 and 7 to investigate the complaints from the audit service over the defence’s ministry refusal. Intosai has also made a direct request for a meeting with the president of the Republic, president of parliament, the attorney general, defence ministry, as well as all members of the house audit committee.

The audit service said it had been informed from the defence ministry that “following the president’s intervention, it was decided to give unlimited access to all the information the audit service believes necessary.”