According to the Auditor General “the Law is clear on the secretary's allowance”.
The Auditor General Odysseas Michaelidis described the announcement of the Ministry of Finance regarding the secretary's allowance to former Presidents of the Republic and former Speakers of the Parliament as unacceptable, citing relevant legislation. In fact, he warned the Ministry of Finance that the Audit Service will inform the Anti-Corruption Authority if the next audit shows that “amounts that exceed the actual expenditure of the officials” were given.
“The Law is clear on the secretary's allowance”, noted Mr. Michaelides, adding that “Law 38(I)/2014 is also clear on the responsibility of each controlling officer for the correctness of payments”.
“The Audit Service”, emphasized Odysseas Michaelidis, “expressed its audit opinion and that is where its authority ends”. He added that on May 2 the Audit Service will carry out an audit for the month of April, warning that “if sums have been given that exceed the actual expenditure of the officials, then we will inform the Anti-Corruption Authority to examine whether offenses of abuse of power arise .
The Law is clear about the secretary's allowance. Law 38(I)/2014 on the responsibility of each controlling officer for the correctness of payments is similarly clear. We consider the YO's announcement unacceptable. However, the EY has expressed its audit opinion and that is where the authority ends…
— Odysseas Michaelides (@OMichaelides) March 22, 2024
This is what the Auditor General posted on the X platform:
The Law is clear about the secretary's allowance. Law 38(I)/2014 on the responsibility of each controlling officer for the correctness of payments is similarly clear. We consider the YO's announcement unacceptable. However, EY expressed its audit opinion and that is where its authority ends.
On 2/5 we will carry out an audit for the month of April. If sums have been given that exceed the officials' actual expenditure, then we will inform the Anti-Corruption Authority to examine whether abuse of power offenses arise.
The position of the Ministry of Finance< /p>
However, the Ministry of Finance today issued a statement in which it asserted that the allowance for the employment of a private secretary to former Presidents of the Republic and former Speakers of the Parliament is legal and the refund of any amount given is not eligible.
In its announcement, the Ministry of Finance responds to a publication of the newspaper Politis, which referred to data resulting from an audit by the Audit Service on the matter.
