Full vindication of the positions of the Attorney General of the Republic
The countries with the lowest number of cases under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) for fraud/corruption offences affecting the financial interests of the European Union (E.EU) includes Cyprus, according to the EPPO's Annual Report 2021. In the recently released Report and based on its content, the EPPO is investigating only 3 cases involving the Republic of Cyprus. It should be noted that only two EU countries have a smaller number of cases under investigation than Cyprus.
More specifically, the Report states that of the total of 515 cases under investigation for criminal acts in the EU Member States for 2021 that the EPPO is investigating, only 3 cases concern the Republic (i.e. 0.58%). Out of a total estimated total loss to the EU coffers from the cases under investigation, which amounts to EUR 5.4 billion, the estimated total loss for the cases concerning Cyprus amounts to EUR 1.5 million (i.e. 0.28%).
Furthermore, Cyprus provides assistance to the EPPO, through the Cypriot European Public Prosecutor, in a number of cases concerning cross-border fraud/corruption offences against the financial interests of the Union which took place in other EU Member States.EU.
Based on the above EPPO Report, the official position of the Attorney General of the Republic in January 2021 is confirmed that, "the number of offences examined by the Cypriot police authorities which would fall under the category of offences examined by the European Public Prosecutor has never exceeded 4 cases per year."
Based on the above EPPO Report, the official position of the Attorney General of the Republic in January 2021 is confirmed that, "the number of offences examined by the Cypriot police authorities which would fall under the category of offences examined by the European Public Prosecutor has never exceeded 4 cases per year. A position he had taken in challenging the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which had said that from its figures, the number of cases in the Republic of Cyprus is expected to be so high that it may be as high as 10% of the total number of cases that the European Public Prosecutor's Office expects to deal with.
The report itself has been posted on the European Public Prosecutor's Office website, at the link: https:/www.eppo.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2022-03/EPPO_Annual_Report_2021.pdf
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