"Mafia State" Report: Pressing Timelines for Criminal Investigation
The investigation by the Independent Authority Against Corruption into the "Mafia State" has been completed. Now a criminal investigation is awaited, to be conducted by independent investigating magistrates.
Criminal investigation into "Mafia State": Time does not wait
The investigation by the Independent Authority Against Corruption into the so-called "Mafia State" has been completed, according to Philenews. The next step is the launch of a criminal investigation, from which the two heads of the Legal Service should be excluded.
The same request has been submitted by former President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, who holds a central role in the report, as the allegations by Drousiotis were directed primarily against him.
Potential criminal and political responsibilities
From the Announcement of the Independent Authority, which codifies the extensive report, potential criminal responsibilities emerge as well as political responsibilities that point to abuse of power. There is also recorded the exploitation of political involvement with the aim of promoting private interests. All of this, the Authority notes, should be investigated and proven.
Lawyer Elias Stefanou, in an interview with Katia Sava on "Alpha", stated that the report can constitute the "leaven" for an independent criminal investigation. However, the investigating magistrates who will be appointed will be called upon to do "second work", given that the Authority does not possess investigative powers.
The limits of the Authority and the pending legal framework
The legal framework governing the operation of the Authority has been discussed since 2017, without to date being granted the power to refer cases directly before the Courts, bypassing the Legal Service. Where these changes became "stuck", it is noted, is known — as is why.
The Authority recalls that "the presumption of innocence and the fact that only a Court is competent to rule on the guilt of a person". The publication of the basic elements, however, provides the opportunity for their evaluation in the public sphere — within the framework of transparency.
Network circumventing institutions
Reading the report creates the impression that a network of collusion was operating that circumvented the state's institutions and procedures. If these are confirmed, it means that there were parallel procedures that operated outside the state. The new investigation bears the responsibility to investigate this exhaustively, as it is a matter that concerns the core of the state.
Those mentioned in the report have the right to respond — they did so before the investigative Committee and will do so again before the investigators. The final ruling on guilt is borne exclusively by the Courts.
Independent investigating magistrates and the Focus case
The request being made is the launch of an independent criminal investigation by investigating magistrates who will be appointed by the Council of Ministers. This investigation should be completed as soon as possible, should touch all parameters of the report and should be extended to cases with additional dimensions — such as the Focus case, which goes beyond the narrow limits of the report which was based on the book by Drousiotis.
The report, it is noted, did not come as a surprise, but shocked due to the seriousness of the allegations made. For this reason these matters should not become trapped in time-consuming procedures or wait their turn in the Courts.
The reaction of the parties, finally, was as expected: each party addressed the content according to how much it "touched" them.
Source: Philenews