Odysseas Michaelides has responded to Auditor-General Andreas Papaconstantinou, arguing that the Audit Office must remain independent but cannot be exempt from parliamentary scrutiny.
In a post on X, the former Auditor-General and current Alma leader said the House Audit Committee is the “natural ally” of the Audit Office, as both institutions are tasked with overseeing executive power and the management of public money.
Michaelides said the committee also exercises parliamentary scrutiny over the Audit Office itself, insisting that this does not weaken the institution’s independence but reinforces it.
According to Michaelides, the independence of an audit authority means that no one may interfere in its audits, findings or conclusions. It does not mean, he added, that the institution is not accountable before parliament.
He said this position is rooted in both international best practice and Cypriot legislation, adding that his stance has remained unchanged since 2014.
Michaelides also referred to a presentation he gave before the House Audit Committee on June 7, 2018, while serving as Auditor-General.
He further recalled that he had expressed the same view during a parliamentary debate in September 2023 on whether the Attorney-General should also be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. Michaelides argued that the Attorney-General is currently, and wrongly, excluded from such oversight.
