Cypriot government appoints five criminal investigators for 'Mafia State'
The government appointed a team of five criminal investigators to examine findings from the Independent Authority Against Corruption from its investigation into the book 'Mafia State', which concluded that former president Nicos Anastasiades may bear criminal responsibility for abuse of power.
Cypriot government appoints five criminal investigators for 'Mafia State'
On Thursday, the Cypriot government announced the names of five criminal investigators who will examine the conclusions reached by the Independent Authority Against Corruption during its investigation into the book Mafia State. Among other things, the authority concluded that former president Nicos Anastasiades may bear criminal responsibility for abuse of power.
Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis presented the five appointees: Vasilis Skouris, Christos Mylonopulos, Sotiris Liasidis, Nikolas Koursaris and Dimitris Tsokalidis.
Greek judge Skouris is the most well-known figure on the team. He served as president of the European Court of Human Rights for 12 years, from 2003 to 2015. During his tenure, he presided over the Orams case, a significant dispute concerning Greek-Cypriot property in the northern part of the island, which reached the European Court of Human Rights in 2009. Beyond his judicial career, Skouris served twice as Greece's Interior Minister under prime ministers Ioannis Grivas and Kostas Simitis, as well as minister without portfolio under interim prime minister Ioannis Sarmas in 2023.
Mylonopulos is a professor of Criminal Law at the University of Athens. Liasidis is former president of Cyprus's Family Court. Koursaris is vice-president of the Nicosia Bar Association. Tsokalidis is a lawyer known for defending Giorgos Zavrantonis Christodoulou and defendants in the murder case of businessman Stavros Dimosthenis.
Letymbiotis stated that the appointments "reflect the government's commitment to transparency, accountability and strengthening citizens' trust in institutions". He added that they "confirm absolute respect for the independence of the competent authorities and the judiciary, for the prescribed procedures and for the presumption of innocence".
The book Mafia State was originally published in 2022 by former Anastasiades associate and journalist Makarios Drousiotis. The Independent Authority Against Corruption began investigating his findings the following year, after former Cyprus peace negotiator and then presidential candidate Andreas Mavrogiannis approached it. The investigation officially commenced in 2024. In total, 150 people testified across 200 sessions, whilst at least 793 pieces of evidence were submitted.
Source: Cyprus Mail
Source: Cyprus Mail