A former minister in the Christodoulides government failed to declare an amount approaching €4 million in his asset declaration filings. Under legislation that took effect in January, omitting assets from a «πόθεν έσχες» declaration constitutes a criminal offence, raising the question of possible prosecution of the former minister.
How the omission came to light
The amount was identified during the most recent audit, carried out after the individual's departure from ministerial office, under the new legislation that placed responsibility for auditing asset declaration filings with the Tax Commissioner. Previously, no audit of any kind was carried out, and declarations were essentially self-reported without verification.
No allegation of illicit enrichment
According to information obtained by Politis, there is no suggestion of illicit enrichment against the former minister. The audit found that the funds in question were already in his possession before he took up ministerial office, but he failed to include them in his asset declaration filings. He is, however, being examined for possible tax evasion.
Parliament notified
Politis has confirmed that the Tax Department formally notified the Special Parliamentary Committee on «πόθεν έσχες» his asset declaration filings of the case, so the committee could proceed with its own actions. Under current legislation, the committee is required to inform the Attorney-General, so that potential criminal prosecution of the former minister can be considered.
The Special Parliamentary Committee on «πόθεν έσχες» is chaired, ex officio, by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou. Its members are Dimitris Dimitriou (DISY), Giorgos Loucaides (AKEL), Linos Papayiannis (ELAM) and Panicos Leonidou (DIKO).
Editor's note: Politis sought to contact the former minister but received no response. His name will be made public once his version of events regarding the omission has been obtained.
