Former Counsel of the Republic and former Head of the Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS), Eva Rossidou-Papakyriakou, has disputed the Anti-Corruption Authority's findings on MOKAS's investigation of a case based on a 2019 report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), arguing that the Authority's conclusions "do not reflect reality" and rejecting any suggestion of a cover-up or of acting to serve third parties.
In a written statement issued on Thursday, Rossidou responds to the Anti-Corruption Authority's announcement of 16 June 2026, which named her in connection with possible criminal offences related to MOKAS's investigation into suspicious transactions, based on an OCCRP report dated 14 August 2019.
Addressing the Authority's conclusions on the investigation carried out by MOKAS specifically, Rossidou said the relevant paragraphs of the announcement "do not reflect reality as far as MOKAS's actions are concerned," adding that she does not wish to go into detail given the possibility of further investigative work, which, she argued, would show that the investigations carried out "were the appropriate ones."
According to Rossidou, the investigation had begun on MOKAS's own initiative based on the report, followed by a public appeal from the then President of the Republic for the case to be examined. The inquiry, she said, was carried out by a specialised team of investigators, accountants and lawyers, and included investigative work both in Cyprus and abroad.
"As Head of MOKAS, which falls under the Attorney General, until my retirement in November 2022, I never acted or made decisions alone in relation to the analysis of suspicious transactions," she said. "We acted as a team, because specialised knowledge, mainly accounting and financial, was required. This is not to suggest that I did not bear responsibility, as Head, for the proper conduct and exercise of MOKAS's functions, for reviewing the final findings, and even for informing the Attorney General where this was required, as happened in this case, with the findings handed over to the then Attorney General."
She also voiced complaints about the way she was examined by the Anti-Corruption Authority, saying she was called as a witness at two hearings during which, she claims, she was not asked substantive questions about the specific case, nor was she shown any relevant evidence.
"This should have happened before they concluded their findings and attributed personal responsibility to me, and indeed while leaving it to be understood that we acted to serve the former president," she said.
The former Counsel of the Republic said she is not concerned about the outcome of any investigation that may follow, expressing confidence that the evidence in the file will show "the real facts and the Authority's flawed analysis and conclusions."
Rossidou concluded by expressing "intense disappointment and distress" at being attributed possible criminal offences, arguing that the case had been examined thoroughly and "without any intention of a cover-up." She said she had chosen to speak publicly because investigating the issues raised in the findings could take a long time, during which, she said, "baseless and unjust allegations" against her would remain unresolved.
The Authority's announcement was issued after the conclusion of its investigation into allegations and claims contained in a book by journalist and author Makarios Drousiotis, "Mafia State."
Among those for whom the Authority recommends further investigation into possible corruption offences are, former President Nikos Anastasiades, former Deputy Attorney General Rikkos Erotokritou, former Agriculture Minister Nikos Kouyialis, former MP George Varnava, partners at the law firm Nikos Chr. Anastasiades and Partners, former District Court President Charis Solomonidis, the firm A. Neocleous & Co LLC, and Rossidou herself.
Source: Cyprus News Agency (CNA)
