A five-member team of criminal investigators appointed by the Council of Ministers has begun work on examining potential criminal offences arising from the findings of the Anti-Corruption Authority's report on the alleged 'Mafia State' affair.
The investigators, who have travelled to Cyprus from Greece, are expected in the first instance to determine the course of the investigation they will follow.
Premises have already been secured at the Filoxenia Conference Centre, where interviews and investigative proceedings will be conducted. The team will also receive logistical and administrative support to assist with its work.
The investigative team is headed by Vassilios Skouris, emeritus professor of public law at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and former president of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The other members are:
- Ilias Anagnostopoulos, criminal lawyer and emeritus professor at the University of Athens.
- Sotiris Liasidis, former judge.
- Nikolas Koursaris, lawyer specialising in criminal proceedings and vice-president of the Nicosia Bar Association committee.
- Dimitris Tsolakidis, criminal law lawyer and member of the Cyprus Bar Association's Criminal Justice Committee and Criminal Law Subcommittee.
As part of the Council of Ministers' appointment decision, the investigation is to be completed within six months, although an extension may be granted if necessary.
Reviewing the evidence
The investigative team is expected to receive shortly the entire body of material gathered by the Anti-Corruption Authority, including the full text of the report prepared by its investigators.
A detailed review of the report, witness statements and supporting evidence is expected to take place before decisions are made on the next steps of the criminal investigation, including the order in which witnesses and individuals named in the report will be called to give statements.
The team has the authority to request any assistance it requires from the Cyprus Police.
Police await instructions
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Vyron Vyronos told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the police are awaiting instructions from the independent criminal investigators.
According to Vyronos, the Anti-Corruption Authority's report has already been forwarded to the police and is currently in the possession of the Chief of Police, although it has not yet been examined by members of the force. "The report is in the hands of the Chief of Police. We are waiting for instructions from the criminal investigators," he said.
He clarified that the police are not carrying out any investigation into the case at this stage but stand ready to assist if requested as part of the process. "As far as I know, the investigators have not yet contacted us regarding any assistance they may need. We are here and ready to help with anything required," he added.
