Anastasiades will refute ‘slanderous lies one by one’ (updated)

Former President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday welcomed the appointment of Gabrielle Louise McIntyre, who is meant to investigate corruption claims against him which were written in a book.

The anti-corruption authority is set to announce later this week when McIntyre will be arriving to begin her work.

McIntyre is an international legal practitioner, jurist and served as the chairperson of the Seychelles’ Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission. She is an expert in international legal practice, international humanitarian law, international criminal law, human rights law and administrative law.

She managed legal proceedings for judges of the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia) at all stages of proceedings, including pre-trial, trial and appeal, and has extensive experience with international court practice and common and civil law procedural rules.

The anti-corruption authority was set up a year and a half ago to investigate corruption cases involving current or former state officials and civil servants, and is also poised to tackle claims publicised in Makarios Drousiotis’ book Mafia State which points a finger at Anastasiades among others.

On Monday, Anastasiades welcomed McIntyre’s appointment.

“The findings will need to be made public,” he said.

Two days earlier, Drousiotis had gone on social media to say he rejected requests by Anastasiades’ lawyers for his books to be withdrawn and an apology to be drafted.

According to his post, “On the eve of the launch of the investigation [against Anastasiades], I received a letter from the law firm of Andy Triantaphyllides, which, together with the office of Theodoros Economou, represents Anastasiades. The former president, through his lawyers, is demanding the withdrawal of my books, an apology and damages!”

He added: “I consider this move by the former president as an attempt to intimidate me in view of the upcoming investigation by the anti-corruption authority.”

Responding on Monday, Anastasiades said that the intimidation claim by Drousiotis’ is new and suggests that the only thing that should “scare him is the truth and what he falsely and deliberately recorded in his books”.

He added that what should frighten Drousiotis is the deliberate distortions of texts, contradictory and untrue claims, and self-contradictions, as well as the evidence that will be presented to the authority and the court, “which will refute his malicious and slanderous lies one by one”.

“I am sure, as a lover of truth, he [Drousiotis] will also have the audacity to reveal his fictions to both the anti-corruption authority and the court. Pending the investigation, I limit myself to the bare minimum,” Anastasiades said.

At the end of November, Anastasiades had said he welcomed the investigation by the anti-corruption authority.

In a written statement at the time, Anastasiades said: “With particular satisfaction, I heard this morning the Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr Harris Poyiadjis, confirming that the process of investigation into the content of Mr Makarios Drousiotis’ book ‘Mafia State’ has actually been activated.”

Anastasiades also reiterated that in November last year he sent a letter to the anti-corruption authority to speed-up investigation into the claims in the book.

Responding to the ex-president later in the day, Drousiotis said he had nothing to fear.

“The truth is what gives me strength and perseverance,” the author said in a brief statement.

“The public is well aware of individuals’ relationship with truth,” he added, in an evident snipe at Anastasiades.

“As for me, no one has ever caught my lying, be it in my books or the thousands of articles I’ve had published.”