Deputy Attorney-General Savvas Angelides remains under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Authority, which is examining allegations of abuse of power and, by extension, corruption. According to information obtained by Politis, four complaints are currently pending against him, while five earlier complaints submitted by former Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides were investigated and dismissed.
The Anti-Corruption Authority is presently examining the following cases involving Deputy Attorney-General Angelides:
1. The spy van case
The soon-to-begin investigation concerns the well-known “black spy van” equipped with surveillance and phone interception technology, linked to former Israeli intelligence officer Tal Dilian.
Sources indicate that the investigation will focus on allegations that Angelides’ brother, Michalis Angelides, developed professional ties with close associates of Dilian. There are also reports that a company linked to these individuals was registered by the law firm in which Angelides was a partner prior to his appointment as minister in 2018. Angelides later suspended the criminal prosecution of Dilian - an action that adds further weight to the complaint.
Angelides has publicly and categorically rejected the claims, calling them “baseless allegations bordering on slander”, designed to damage both the Legal Service and his own reputation.
Foreign experts are expected to lead this investigation.
In a statement issued on 10 August 2022, Angelides explained his reasoning for halting the prosecution, citing the uncertain legal and technical outcome of a trial, the company’s acceptance of full responsibility before the Data Protection Commissioner, the €950,000 administrative fine paid immediately, and the conclusion that the surveillance systems had not been used to monitor or intercept communications but only for demonstrations.
2. 'Golden passport' allegations
This case involves claims of corruption and conflict of interest targeting former President Nicos Anastasiades, former ministers, and members of his family. Among the former ministers named is Savvas Angelides, who allegedly failed to inform the Cabinet of his connection to a major Nicosia law firm involved in promoting investment-for-citizenship applications. At the same time, as Cabinet member, he participated in decisions approving such passports.
These complaints were submitted by AKEL MP Christos Christofides, with additional material provided by former Auditor-General Michaelides.
3. Unlawful early retirement and forgery
This complaint, filed by a retired officer, concerns Angelides’ time as Minister of Defence and chair of the Supreme Council for Promotions. The Anti-Corruption Authority has deemed the allegations credible and is expected to appoint three inspectors in the coming days to investigate.
Wealth declarations
An anonymous complaint submitted to the Authority, Parliament, and the media alleges that Angelides failed to disclose, in two separate wealth declarations (pothen esches), the purchase of a company and the transfer of liabilities to a new entity during his term as minister.
No action has yet been taken, as a decision must be reached between the Anti-Corruption Authority and Parliament regarding which body has jurisdiction to investigate.
Five complaints already dismissed
To date, the Anti-Corruption Authority has dismissed five other complaints against the Deputy Attorney-General. These included:
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Tax issues involving a company: The complaint, originating from Michaelides, alleged that tax authorities were prevented from auditing a company linked to individuals with public influence. No wrongdoing was found.
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Fraud and money laundering from a public contract: This concerned the suspension of prosecutions against five individuals accused of felony offences. Although the court had rejected similar requests from six defendants and emphasised the need for the case to proceed, Angelides later suspended the prosecutions of five of them. The complaint was examined, and no misconduct was identified.
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Suspension of criminal prosecutions: Three anonymous complaints involved cases in which Angelides had ordered suspensions. While the first two revealed no issues, the third confirmed that he had suspended proceedings for an individual he had previously represented as a lawyer, though the former client was unrelated to the case at hand. Two British investigators concluded that while the facts raised concerns about the lack of a formal conflict-of-interest mechanism, there was insufficient evidence of corruption.