The “State Mafia” case has reignited tensions in the House of Representatives’ Legal Affairs Committee, with the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General being grilled by lawmakers over their recusal from the case.

AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtides told the Attorney General that he should resign, emphasizing that the legal service cannot function as a “messenger.”

“It goes without saying that we insist on their resignation. In fact, we have stated that allowing the two to remain in their positions—beyond the conflict of interest that already exists—will create a chain reaction of problems in the course of the investigations.” ^{Andreas Pasioridis, AKEL Member of Parliament}

With the Attorney General emphasizing that they recused themselves for reasons of objective impartiality.

“Even if we had done the opposite and not recused ourselves, they would have ‘hanged’ us. The Attorney General cannot be removed from office except for reasons of dishonor. We don’t need to be popular with the public; we act in the best interests of the country.” ^{George Savvidis, Attorney General}

He clarified that a private public prosecutor will be appointed at the conclusion of the criminal investigation and only if the matter warrants criminal prosecution.

“I don’t know when the criminal proceedings will end, or whether I will be the one making the decisions. I can handle the case impartially, no matter who is involved, even if they are a relative of mine.” ^{George Savvidis, Attorney General}

The Attorney General was particularly forceful in response to the criticism the Legal Service has faced over the years, emphasizing that those who criticize them are television commentators.

“No one will silence those who want to expose injustices, and if the criticism bothers them, then they cannot continue to hold the positions to which they have been appointed.” ^{Andreas Pasioridis, AKEL Member of Parliament}

The committee also discussed, in principle, the resolution submitted by Direct Democracy calling for the resignation of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, with certain parties raising serious concernsregarding the resolution’s content.

The debate will continue at a subsequent session, with the possibility that it will be brought before the Plenary before Parliament adjourns. We have been informed that AKEL is also preparing to submit a similar resolution.

The “Sandy” Case

Regarding the “Sandy” case, the Attorney General revealed that the file is already under review by the Legal Service.

“First, the police completed the initial phase of the investigation; then we issued instructions for it to be reviewed to determine any potential liability, and the case file has been finalized so that a decision can be made on whether to pursue prosecution.” ^{George Savvidis, Attorney General}

The instructions given to the police concerned the dissemination of false news, forgery, and the circulation of forged documents.

Watch Eleni Michael’s report