The findings of the three cases that have captured the public’s attention like few others are now being shelved for the summer lull. The police file on the Santis case has been with the Attorney General since last week and is being reviewed by an official from the Legal Service. It is considered certain that a conclusion will be reached before the August recess and that decisions will be announced regarding whether or not to pursue criminal charges in connection with the offenses under review, namely the dissemination of false news, forgery, and the circulation of forged documents.
“Mafia State”
The five criminal investigators assigned to the “Mafia State” case are gearing up for a difficult fall. In the difficult task they are called upon to carry out, they will be assisted by an equal number of police investigators to take statements, issue warrants and orders, and analyze financial data. Following the first meeting at the Conference Center, Vasileios Skouris and Ilias Anagnostopoulos departed for Athens to review the findings and are expected to return around the end of July. The first witnesses will be summoned to the special area set up at the Conference Center in late August or early September.
In a statement issued by the Anti-Corruption Authority, the agency seeks to clarify once and for all the issue of conflict of interest that arose in connection with the previous professional association between the headinvestigative officer Gabrielle McIntyre and Makarios Drousiotis’s attorney, Litos Kariolou.
Anti-Corruption
Authority The Authority examined the allegations raised regarding alleged conflict of interest involving Ms. McIntyre and finds that no such issue exists. In fact, a journalist from Cyprus approached the President of the International Criminal Court—where Ms. McIntyre is employed—directly, raising similar allegations, which were rejected by the President.
Videogate
The time for decisions is approaching for Videogate as well. Next Monday, after two consecutive extensions, the deadline for Andreas Paschalides to submit his findings to the Attorney General will expire. The extension became necessary after Black Cube—the company behind the creation of the video—provided all of its secret recordings.
The company claims that the video was created on behalf of a private firm, a claim that contradicts the Presidential Office’s allegations of hybrid warfare. According to information from the newspaper Politis, the criminal investigation has placed particular emphasis on examining offenses covered by the law governing lobbying activities.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
See the report by Christoforos Nestoros
