The government intends to table legislation granting criminal investigative powers to the Anti-Corruption Authority, Justice Ministry Director General George Panteli told the House Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
The announcement came during a parliamentary discussion on two private members' bills seeking to strengthen the Authority's powers. The Legal Service also expressed support for discussing comprehensive legislation, with Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides describing the proposal as an opportunity for broader reform.
Staff shortages
Committee chair and DISY MP Fotini Tsiridou said the executive had been given until October to submit a government bill.
The Anti-Corruption Authority, through its chairman Charis Poyiatzis, said it was ready to assume criminal investigative powers but stressed that longstanding staffing shortages would need to be addressed first.
Two separate legislative proposals are currently before the committee. DISY's proposal would allow the Authority to appoint independent criminal investigators from a list prepared by the Cyprus Bar Association and approved by the Attorney General. A proposal by the Alma movement would instead empower the Authority to appoint criminal investigators directly whenever it identifies potential criminal offences.
During the meeting, Alma MP Michalis Paraskevas questioned the participation of Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelides, arguing that he had previously recused himself from matters involving the Anti-Corruption Authority. Angelides rejected the objection, saying his recusal in a specific case did not prevent him from carrying out his institutional duties. Committee chair Fotini Tsiridou dismissed the procedural objection, saying the committee would remain focused on the legislative proposals.
Over 800 complaints
Addressing the committee, Angelides said any reform should form part of a comprehensive legislative framework rather than isolated amendments. He cautioned that the Authority's existing mandate differs from that of a criminal investigative body and warned against creating overlapping responsibilities or undermining constitutional safeguards, including the Attorney General's role in criminal prosecutions.
Poyiatzis said the Authority supported granting it investigative powers and endorsed the Alma proposal, arguing that requiring investigators to be selected from a list approved by the Attorney General would weaken the Authority's independence. He added that while the Authority should conduct and supervise criminal investigations, decisions on whether to prosecute would continue to rest with the Attorney General.
Poyiatzis also told MPs that the Authority has received 849 complaints to date, of which 580 have been investigated, while 269 remain pending. He said the Authority employs 16 people, with only one member of staff holding a permanent position.
Broad consensus
Justice Ministry secretary general George Panteli said the ministry agreed in principle that the Authority should be granted investigative powers but argued that neither of the current proposals fully addressed the issue. Instead, he called for time to prepare comprehensive legislation covering all aspects of the reform before submitting it to parliament.
Following the meeting, Tsiridou welcomed what she described as a broad consensus among the Justice Ministry, the Legal Service, the Anti-Corruption Authority and the Cyprus Bar Association to work together on a unified legislative framework. She said the committee expected a government bill by October.
Source: CNA
