Disy on Tuesday reacted to former party leader and president Nicos Anastasiades’ hour-long oral defence against allegations of abuse of power levelled against him by the anti-corruption authority by renewing its call for a “full investigation” into the matter, while Akel called for a “purge” of Cyprus’ political elite.

“From the very beginning, Disy expressed its unwavering position in favour of a full investigation of the possible offences detailed in the anti-corruption authority’s findings. No cover up for anyone. We have never separated ‘our own’ from the others,” Disy said.

It as such called on the government to “proceed with the appointment of independent criminal investigators without further delay”, and to ensure that those investigators be given a “clear timetable” for a “quick and substantive investigation”.

“We respect the findings, the institutions, the principles of justice, and the rule of law, as well as the right of every person to defend themselves,” it said.

Related Articles

Akel, meanwhile, went on the front foot, saying that Anastasiades “spent almost an hour trying to convince everyone that everyone is lying except him”.

“The anti-corruption authority, international journalistic networks, the international press, those who dared to suggest that institutional entanglement and institutional corruption took off during his time are all lying,” it said.

It added, “according to Anastasiades, everything is a lie, just as his trips and transactions with a Saudi tycoon were lies, as was the involvement of his law firm in the golden passport scandal”.

“The question is who – apart from the Disy leadership and his successor, Nikos Christodoulides – is left to believe him,” it said.

As such, it added, “Akel demands a purge”.

“It demands an impartial and unbiased investigation of all the anti-corruption authority’s findings and the bringing of all suspects to justice. This requires the immediate resignation of George Savvides and Savvas Angelides from their positions as attorney-general and deputy,”

It added that “only in this way will the way be opened for the credibility of the institutions and the functioning of the rule of law in this country to be fully restored”.

Disy responded in kind to Akel, saying that the party is “unable to understand our own principled position” as “their sinful past shows complete disrespect for evidence when it comes to ‘theirs’, but also complete disrespect for court decisions”.

“As much as Akel attempts to acquit itself for its disastrous five years in power, what has been recorded in the people’s collective memory is one thing: that the one time they were in government they destroyed tens of thousands of families and closed thousands of businesses,” it said.

It added that people also remember “that it was Disy which brought society and the economy out of the mire”.

“What Akel has taught is disrespect for the findings and insolence over the destruction it caused. It has no right to throw stones without a simple apology for the suffering it caused, and without repentance for the evidence it kicked into the long grass,” it said.