Health ministry permanent secretary Christina Yiannaki was exonerated on Friday by the anti-corruption authority, which had investigated claims questioning her age and knowledge of the English language.

According to an announcement by the anti-corruption authority, which investigated the anonymous claim, all the documents Yiannaki submitted show that both matters in the complaint are false.

“All the documents that the authority has collected and studied in the framework of its investigation converge towards the same result: that the date of birth that the defendant had declared from the very beginning is the same. None of them indicate any other date of birth or suggest anything to imply otherwise,” the authority said.

Regarding her knowledge of the English language, the authority confirmed that her degree from Cairo University proves she had the required proficiency in English – a necessary qualification for the post she holds.

Through her lawyer, Yiannaki submitted several documents: a birth certificate issued three days after her birth, indicating she was born in Giza, Egypt, with a Greek translation made 23 years later; a baptismal certificate showing she was baptised as an Orthodox Christian at five months old; and a certificate of citizenship from the Republic of Cyprus, indicating she obtained Cypriot citizenship at the age of one year.

She also submitted a diploma from the Cairo Abbey School, received at age 17, and a degree in Dentistry from Cairo University, obtained at age 23. Additionally, Yiannaki provided a certificate of registration as a dentist in the Republic of Cyprus, also obtained at age 23.

The complaint had alleged that Yiannaki lied about her age to retire later and questioned her English language proficiency.

However, based on the information submitted to the anti-corruption authority by Yiannaki, which was found to be legal, valid, and true, she is currently 64 years old and will retire in one year.

The authority cited court cases establishing that Yiannaki was required to have a good knowledge of English and excellent knowledge of Greek. These requirements were met through her degree from Cairo University and a Greek test she took to enter the civil service.

The complaint was also refuted by minutes from a public service commission (Edy) meeting dated October 13, 2014, which stated that Yiannaki “meets the qualification of very good knowledge of the English language presumably because of her studies at an English-speaking university and also because the service plan of the post she holds requires the same level of knowledge of the English language. She is therefore considered qualified.”