Preparatory work is underway to grant investigative powers to the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority, said Nikos Zampakidis, a member of the Authority, Nikos Zampakidis, on Monday before the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, which discussed the Authority’s budget for the year 2027.
Nikos Zampakidis, a member of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority, stated that the lack of permanent staff to staff the Authority is a “persistent problem” that is “on the way to being resolved,” noting that amendments to the law have been made to this end.
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“We have allocated 22 positions in the budget, 16 of which have already been approved, and we are awaiting approval for another 6, 4 of which are for legal staff and 2 for transparency officers,” explained Mr. Zampakidis, adding that there are 4 positions for administrative assistants, which were approved last year.
The Independent Anti-Corruption Authority has a total of 943 cases, of which 673 have been completed, while 270 cases (or 29%) remain pending, he noted. He also stated that the Authority assigned investigators to 19 cases, of which 11 have been completed and 8 are ongoing.
At the same time, he noted that 4 of the ongoing cases have been referred to the Attorney General, who, he said, is responsible for determining whether criminal offenses have been committed. He added that “4–5 other cases require further investigation,” noting that the Authority will soon appoint investigators for these cases.
Referring to lobbying and transparency issues in public decision-making processes, Nikos Zampakidis said that the Authority maintains a registry with 380 registered individuals. At the same time, he emphasized that “we must change our culture as Cypriots,” adding that the Authority is in contact with the Ministry of Education to introduce a relevant course or program in schools.
The GRECO Committee had made recommendations to the Authority regarding its resources and staff, which the Authority submitted to the House of Representatives for approval “without encountering any problems whatsoever,” he emphasized, adding that the staffing issue “is on its way to being resolved.”
Referring to the budget of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority for the year 2027, Mr. Zampakidis said that the budget figures are “identical to those of 2026, with minimal differences.”
He also noted that the Authority is making efforts to ensure that each ministry designates a person to serve as a liaison with the Authority, expressing hope that this effort will resonate with the ministries.
Nikos Zampakidis pointed out that the issue of granting investigative powers to the Authority is moving forward, despite the objections raised by various parties regarding the constitutionality of such a grant, adding that several meetings have already taken place with the Legal Service on the matter. “We are moving forward with amending our legislation, with preliminary work,” he said. “Once the procedures are completed, the relevant information will be provided,” he added.
In response to questions from DISY MP Savias Orfanidou regarding whether the publication of a report affects the evidence in a case and whether this has occurred in certain cases, Nikos Zampakidis answered in the negative, noting, however, that “we see some concern” and “hesitation” on the part of witnesses “in some cases.”
Responding to another question from Ms. Orfanidou, Mr. Zampakidis explained that the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority is conducting a preliminary investigation, adding that cases are referred to the Attorney General when it is determined that they require further investigation into possible criminal offenses.
AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtides, asked whether the Authority had launched an investigation into the case of the black van within the scope of its own jurisdiction, to which Mr. Zampakidis replied that “we are very close” to launching the investigation.
The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, DIKO MP, Christiana Erotokritou, asked whether there are more anonymous complaints than those filed under a name, and whether the named complaints are better substantiated than the anonymous ones, to which Nikos Zampakidis replied in the affirmative, clarifying that anonymous complaints are investigated provided they contain specific details and are not vague.
ELAM MP Linos Hatzigeorgiou asked whether some complaints are filed for ulterior motives, to which Mr. Zampakidis replied in the negative.
Source: CNA
