Anti-corruption authority says foreign experts may arrive even sooner

The British experts set to help the anti-corruption authority may be arriving to Cyprus earlier, in light of the latest spat between the deputy attorney general and audit service, it emerged on Thursday.

“We expected them to arrive at the end of June to investigate the issue of passports, but we are trying to speed things up,” head of the independent authority against corruption Charis Poyiadjis told the Cyprus Mail.

A day earlier, the authority said it would be investigating allegations made by the audit office against the deputy-attorney general Savvas Angelides. The former claimed Angelides had not pressed charges against someone who had been a client of his law firm in the past before Angelides became deputy AG.

Consequently, the audit office forwarded the allegation to the anti-corruption authority.

Poyiadjis said they would be transparent throughout the whole process and would keep the public informed.

The reason the experts are coming from Britain is to avoid any potential conflicts of interest, he added.

Poyiadjis stressed investigations for the passport scandal, or any other matters would not be delayed, just that the latest development would be prioritised.

The auditor general in his report last year said eight passports were awarded in connection to the Ayia Napa marina, however the investment criteria were not being met. The legal office offering the services is “one where the (former) president’s daughter have a stake.”

It is understood it alludes to Anastasiades’ former law office, which he passed the shares on to his daughters.