Another chapter has unfolded in the recent public dispute between the current and former Auditor General.
This time, Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou responded to allegations made by his predecessor, Odysseas Michaelides. The controversy began last week during the first meeting of Parliament’s Audit Committee, where Michaelides requested access to documents that the Audit Office considers internal records.
Papaconstantinou responds
Addressing claims that reports linked to cases involving the President of the Republic are being kept “in a drawer,” Papaconstantinou said all procedures within the Audit Office are now fully recorded electronically and can be reviewed at any time.
According to him, every report submitted to the Auditor General retains a complete history, including the date of submission and any comments or amendments made during processing.
He said that since taking office, he has introduced a series of organisational changes, many of which are not visible to the public, aimed at speeding up the publication of reports.
Papaconstantinou added that Audit Office officials select the audits they carry out themselves and that he rarely intervenes in the choice of topics. When he does, he said, it follows discussion with the relevant officials.
He also noted that he works late into the evenings, including weekends, to ensure reports do not remain pending.
“No report is sitting on my desk”
Responding to allegations of delays, Papaconstantinou said there is no report sitting in his office without being processed.
He acknowledged that there are complex cases inherited from his predecessor for which information is still being awaited from various government departments. However, he stressed that these delays are not the responsibility of the Audit Office and that all pending cases will eventually be completed.
At the same time, he said reforms within the service have significantly reduced the time needed to complete reports, from approximately two years to around eight months.
Dispute over parliamentary access
Regarding Parliament’s request for access to Audit Office material, the Auditor General stressed that the institution is independent, but not beyond scrutiny.
He added that the Office’s primary obligation is to uphold the Constitution and made clear that he would maintain his position if the matter is formally raised, even if that requires challenging the constitutionality of the relevant legislation.
What Michaelides alleged
Papaconstantinou’s intervention came in response to accusations by Odysseas Michaelides that the current Auditor General is deliberately withholding reports.
Michaelides said information had come to his attention which he had “checked and confirmed,” claiming that the Auditor General had decided “to keep in a drawer for approximately 20 months a case involving a public contract of exceptionally high value.”
According to Michaelides, this “raises serious questions about the reasons behind such a reaction.”
