AG: my friendship with ex-president no bar to truth

Attorney-general George Savvides said on Wednesday that if anything arises from the Anti-Corruption Authority’s investigation into allegations concerning former president Nicos Anastasiades then the Legal Service will find ways to respond.

Savvides was referring to his friendship with Anastasiades, which could be a conflict of interest if the Anti-Corruption Authority finds allegations about the former president made in the book ‘Mafia State’ by Makarios Drousiotis to be true.

“If and when any circumstances arise that the Legal Service will be called upon to make decisions, you know very well that there are ways to resolve any relationships, or conflicts,” Savvides said at a law event at the University of Cyprus.

He added that they respect the authority.

Savvides said that he has been friends with Anastasiades for 40 years, but skirted a question about whether he would recuse himself if needed in this case.

Drousiotis had been called to testify to the authority on Tuesday over the claims made in his book about Anastasiades.

Also, Savvides commented on investigations brought about the former drug squad chief Michalis Katsounotos.

The authority had been looking to where the attorney-general’s office decided against bringing charges against Katsounotos, whom the former prisons director Anna Aristotelous accused of spying on her and trying to frame her. Subsequently the attorney-general’s office also refused to give the green light to two private criminal prosecutions which Aristotelous’ lawyers wanted to file against Katsounotos.

Savvides said he was in contact with the authority on the matter but did not want to comment further.

He stressed that when there was something to say it will be made public.