With comments from opposition MPs, the list prepared by the Advisory Council with suggestions of the people who will make up the Anti-Corruption Authority is submitted to the President of the Republic. The list was presented on Monday before the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, which met behind closed doors, where the biographies of the 15 people proposed by the Advisory Council were read.
The legislation on the establishment and operation of an Independent Anti-Corruption Authority was passed last February by the Plenum of the Parliament. The Advisory Council, appointed by the Supreme Court, was responsible for drawing up the list of three times the number of posts envisaged for the Authority (fifteen persons are proposed for five posts).
Observations and reservations were made during the debate in the Committee by Members of Parliament from AKEL, DIKO and the Citizens' Ecological Movement, pointing out that there is a question of impartiality, due to the direct or indirect links of some persons with financial and business circles.
DISY MP and Chairman of the Committee, Nikos Tornaritis[/B], said that there is no question of these individuals being linked to business circles, noting that the list includes women and men, lawyers and accountants, pensioners and younger professionals. He added, however, that the comments made by MPs during the debate will be reported to the President of the Republic when the list is handed over, in order to be taken into account when selecting the five individuals.
"From the debate, what emerged is that MPs hope that the best choices will be made by the President, regardless of interests." Tornaritis, expressing confidence that this will be an Authority that "will investigate, inform, guide and bring results, bringing to justice anyone who produces corruption."
Tornaritis said that the law was passed precisely because there was and is an issue of corruption, stressing that the first concern is that the establishment of this Authority should bring results, with the selection of individuals who are disconnected from business interests. He concluded that "in a democracy we are all judged", noting that the President of the Republic himself will be judged for his choices.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou recalled his party's reservations as to whether this authority, given the lack of political will, can bring cases to justice, but said that comments had also been made on the proposals prepared by the Advisory Council.
He pointed out that the Authority should be properly equipped to assist in its work, and explained that an authority called upon to fight corruption should ensure objective impartiality.
"The individual integrity of each person is not in question, but the list includes a large number of persons who are directly or indirectly related to specific business, banking and other interests, including activities related to the Cyprus investment programme, what we all know as the golden passport programme," he said. Damianou.
Given these facts, he said, objective impartiality, since some individuals work, cooperate, collaborate or were financially dependent on business and party interests, to which he referred. She concluded that everything will be judged by the result of the Authority's work, while each side will be judged according to its decisions.
DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou[/B] stressed that everything will be judged by the result, if those who should be brought to justice are brought to justice. "The Anti-Corruption Authority can be an important tool for those who want to fight one of the biggest scourges, that of corruption, which has been flourishing in Cyprus in recent years," she said, adding that the Authority will be charged with a difficult and arduous task.
He said that he made comments on the list of persons proposed by the Advisory Council, but pointed out that it is the responsibility of the President of the Republic to choose the most suitable ones to form the first Anti-Corruption Authority. He added that this is a necessary measure "to finally say that transparency and meritocracy prevails in this country."
He noted, however, that the thing to do is to see tangible results from the operation of the Authority as "some people must finally see the door of justice in this country," he said. "It is premature to say whether the chosen θε are the right ones," he concluded, reiterating that this will be seen from the outcome.
The President of the Movement of Ecologists, Haralambos Theopeptou, expressed his disappointment with the list presented by the Advisory Council, arguing that the persons included in it have close connections with the business world, banks, political parties, as well as with the issue of passports. "We are concerned about how this Authority will go about its work when there are these connections with individuals and businesses that the Authority itself may have to investigate," he concluded.
Source: CNA
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