The government consulted the anti-corruption authority before appointing Ilias Anagnostopoulos as the second criminal investigator in the Mafia State case, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday.

Commenting on reactions to the appointment, Christodoulides said “some people limit themselves to expressing concern” and pointed out that this was “done primarily out of opposition-driven spite, and nothing else”.

“We are interested in the essence and this is to investigate everything the anti-corruption authority has publicised on seven charges,” he said.

The president added that before Anagnostopoulos was appointed, the government had contacted the anti-corruption authority and “made sure there is no problem”.

“So, let us leave the investigative committee to do its job, to produce a result and we will be here to comment on it.”

Their appointment follows the completion of the anti-corruption authority’s investigation into allegations contained in journalist Makarios Drousiotis’ book Mafia State.

On July 2, the government named a team of five criminal investigators to examine the anti-corruption authority’s findings.

The authority concluded that former president Nicos Anastasiades and other may be criminally liable for abuse of power.