At today’s Cabinet meeting, which had initially been scheduled for yesterday, ministers are expected to decide on the appointment of the independent criminal investigators who will form part of the team tasked with examining the findings of the Anti-Corruption Authority’s report on the 'Mafia State' case.
The Cabinet is also expected to determine the investigators’ terms of reference as well as the timeframe for completion of the criminal investigation. The complexity and particular nature of the case will, of course, be taken into account, especially in light of the individuals under investigation and the positions they held during the period in which the alleged criminal offences are to be examined.
In order to expedite the criminal investigation and, above all, to ensure the impartiality of an inquiry of this nature, it was decided that a team of independent criminal investigators should be appointed.
More specifically, as Politis has reported, the team will consist of at least five or six criminal investigators, with one expected to be designated as head of the investigation.
Responsibility for the various complex aspects of the case is expected to be divided among the investigators after they have reviewed the Anti-Corruption Authority’s extensive report, compiled by its investigating officers and running to approximately 3,000 pages.
Despite receiving a number of negative responses due to conflicts of interest and incompatibility issues when he initially approached legal professionals, President Nikos Christodoulides has now completed the team of criminal investigators, which will also include foreign experts. All that remains is Cabinet approval and the formal announcement.
Today’s Cabinet decision may also clarify whether a lawyer will be appointed as a public prosecutor for this case, should the matter ultimately be brought before the courts.
It is noted that the Anti-Corruption Authority’s report identifies 15 natural and legal persons to whom possible criminal offences are attributed.
