Insider / ΚΥΠΕ
A number of points raised by MPs for the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority are called upon to reconsider and see if the Ministry of Justice can incorporate it in the final bill, while the Legal Committee will meet in another meeting on the issue to make the final decisions. . The bill for the Authority is expected to be submitted to the Plenary for a final decision on January 27.
The Chairman of the Committee, DISY MP Nikos Tornaritis, after hearing the amendments, asked the Ministry of Justice to reconsider specific suggestions that were made to see how the views can be reconciled and to return with specific suggestions at a last meeting of the Committee on the issue. These are the suggestion for the creation of a specific group in the Legal Service that will examine the complaints raised by the Authority, the creation of an advisory council on the issue of appointments in the Authority and the need for Parliament to play a role in appointments and issues related to the independence of members of the Commission.
Assistant Attorney General
During today's meeting of the Legal Committee, Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelidis, who was present at the meeting, stated that he is confused after suggestions of the Pancyprian Bar Association for an investigative team of the Authority in the Legal Service and wondered how he could the beginning. In remarks that the Authority should have “teeth”, he replied “not to make teeth to bite ourselves”.
He stated that the Authority will not be independent from the moment the Attorney General will have a role in the investigation. He added that the process as formulated here goes to destroy the system. “Whether it is a matter of trust is one thing and another is a matter of procedure,” he said. As Mr. Angelidis said, the Authority will evaluate the initial complaint or grievance and from where the investigation begins they should be transferred to the Attorney General and the Police, in order to get their correct basis with solid data without confusing responsibilities.
Commenting on other amendments that provide for a change in the Constitution, he said that a huge study is needed if there is such an intention.
Minister of Justice
The Minister of Justice, Stefi Drakou, said that the Government throughout the discussions tried to synthesize the opinions that are heard and expressed the view that a rather strong bill is being created that gives powers to the Authority, which can and will do its job. He added that it is very difficult to put in all these modifications, while there is a difference in approach.
According to Ms. Drakou, all the powers needed by the Authority have been given for a strong preventive, educational, informative role and to raise awareness on how we deal with corruption so that it does not happen. He also questioned whether the will is to re-establish institutions. If the Authority finds, as he said, that there is a possibility of a criminal offense, it will refer it to the Attorney General.
Pancyprian Bar Association
On behalf of the Pancyprian Bar Association, Orestis Nikitas stated that they propose that the Authority have its own budget and build its own investigative team that will cooperate with the Attorney General.
He also proposed the establishment of an advisory council to act as an advisory body to the Council of Ministers, regarding the suitability of the Transparency Commissioner candidate and the four members of the Authority. The Advisory Council is proposed to be an independent Council chaired by the President of the Pancyprian Bar Association and composed of the President of the Cyprus Association of Chartered Accountants, the President of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts and the Presidents of the Universities.
The positions of the parties
In his statements after the end of the Committee, Mr. Tornaritis said that while the bill had been led before Christmas for a vote with only one amendment by the Ecologists, then it was postponed and today there was a storm of amendments, suggestions and comments from the parties and the bar association. He added that we are in a pre-election campaign, wished that the terms of the game do not change again and called on everyone to think about their duty and after the partisan interests.
He added that he gave specific guidelines and the Minister will manage the suggestions within the framework of the Constitution, legality, logic and practice in other EU countries.
He said that he supports the advisory council and the creation of a special unit in the Legal Service that will be in charge of what is mentioned in the legislation for the fight against the dispute.
AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtidis said that with his amendments the party requests prior consultation with the Legal Committee on the issue of appointing members of the Authority, while setting a new obstacle for the appointment of Minister and Deputy Minister in case they were chairmen of the Committee. The amendments, he said, also give research powers to this Authority.
In his statements he stated that given that the levels of corruption and entanglement are very high the current government can not provide solutions to the problem. He added that he has clarified that the goal of the Government is to create an authority that will have a preventive, advisory, informational and educational role. He also said that the Parliament should participate in the way of appointing the members, while the Authority should have teeth and not be another decorative body.
DIKO MP Panikos Leonidou suggested that the Constitution be changed and that there be a uniform treatment in the way all Commissioners and members of the Committees are appointed by the state. He asked for another paragraph to be added to Article 54 of the Constitution, in order to give the Ministerial authority to appoint Commissioners and members of the Committees since it is not explicitly defined in the Constitution. The manner and procedures, he noted, will be defined by law, while the Parliament will now have a role and opinion in the manner and procedure.
In his statements, he stated that the party's concern is the creation of such an institution, which will ensure its impartiality, objectivity and acceptance by society.
EDEK MP Kostis Efstathiou referred to an amendment regarding the dismissal of the members of the Authority that will concern inappropriate behavior as provided for the judges of the Supreme Court. He called for the protection of the members of the authority against any indirect or direct pressure to be extended.
The President of the Ecologists 'Movement – Citizens' Cooperation, Charalambos Theopemptou, supported the suggestions of the Pancyprian Bar Association.
