Under existing provisions of the law, the island’s Commissioner for Transparency is able to make public interventions in cases where officials – no matter how high-ranking – come under investigation for corruption.
And this makes the role of the Commissioner and the Independent Authority against Corruption which he/she heads effective enough, Philenews reported on Tuesday citing insiders.
The recently-appointed first ever Commissioner for Transparency is former judge Charis Poyiatzis and the Authority’s term of office is six years.
Meanwhile, the regulations that will govern the operation of the independent Authority are to be discussed before the House Legal Committee on Wednesday.
Expected to participate in the debate are representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, the Legal Service, the Cyprus Bar Association, the Transparency Commissioner and Commissioner for Personal Data Protection Irini Loizidou-Nikolaidou.
Once the legislature gives the green light, then the independent Authority’s members will immediately be able to start examining cases.
Up until last week, the Authority already had 15 written complaints before it – one of them concerning current and former Cabinet members of President Anastasiades’ administration.
The specific complaint, sent to the Authority by the Audit Service, focuses on providers of legal services for the naturalization of foreign investors within the controversial and now banned citizenship by investment scheme.
