The recent admission by those responsible before the Parliamentary Audit Committee that the findings of the investigative committee on Co-operatism have not been used either, brings back the reflection on the institution of independent investigative committees, says the Movement of Ecologists-Civic Co-operation, in a statement.
The Movement recalls, in fact, that the former MP of the Movement, Giorgos Perdikis, had submitted in 2019 a proposal for a law concerning the findings of the investigative commissioners so that they become binding with the termination of all officials involved. Unfortunately, he stresses, the law proposal remains tightly closed in the drawers of the Parliament despite its re-submission by the Movement's Speaker Alexandra Attalidou on 22 April 2022.
"If we call for a crackdown on corruption in Cyprus," the statement adds, "we must show it with actions and not just words. A good start would be to finally pull the proposal out of the drawers and put it up for discussion as soon as possible." He goes on to say that "it is no coincidence that no findings of an Inquiry Committee have been accepted by the rulers of the day and no responsibility has ever been attributed to them despite the recommendations of the findings of the respective Inquiry Committees."
According to the Movement of Ecologists-Civic Co-operation, Mr. Perdikis' law proposal stipulates that: "In the event that the findings of the investigation of the commission of inquiry and the conclusion recorded in the report impute responsibility to a minister, civil servant or person employed by the Republic of Cyprus or in the public service, with the consent of the Attorney General, the appointing body shall be obliged to proceed with the removal of that person."
It is of major importance, underline the Ecologists, that the Parliament passes the Ecologists' proposal for a law to strengthen the findings of the investigative commissions in order to remove those politically responsible when the findings of the investigative commission end up clearly assigning responsibility such as.e.g. in the case of the findings of the investigative committee on the Co-operative, the "golden passports" etc.
The statement concludes with the following questions: "If the findings of the commissions of inquiry will not be respected, then why are these commissions being set up? Is it to appease the opposition in anticipation of the publication of the findings or until they are forgotten by society?"
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