On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees examined allegations of political party interference regarding registration in the 1974 prisoner-of-war registries.
In remarks made after the session ended, the Committee Chair, AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros, said that following a complaint made today by the President of the Prisoners’ Association, Vassos Christou—a complaint he had also made on the “Alpha News” program—regarding the involvement of political parties, the Committee members requested that the session be held behind closed doors so that he could speak freely; for when he was asked to provide the Committee with the names, the individuals and parties who had interfered did not want him to continue the discussion.
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“He did indeed mention certain political parties, and we urged him to go to the police so that all the allegations could be investigated. If he has specific evidence, he must do so, and we stand with him,” he noted.
Regarding the report by the Special Investigation Service, Mr. Kettiros said that the issue is not the two or three cases that were identified, but the fact that there are 130 cases that do not appear in the Red Cross registry, nor in the National Guard’s registry.
“Regarding these cases, despite the fact that, according to the Audit Office, there may be supporting documentation that has been lost—and which may have been recorded at the time given the circumstances of the era but not subsequently documented— a further investigation should be conducted, and in accordance with the Audit Office’s recommendations, the two or three existing registers should be cross-referenced, so that the work is done correctly and everyone knows why they are in the registry, who is in the registry, how many people are in the prisoner registry, and what they are receiving,” he noted.
When asked if any names were mentioned during the closed portion of the session, Mr. Kettiros said that two political parties were mentioned, but he declined to provide further details, reiterating that the Committee members asked Mr. Christou to provide specific details to the police.
For his part, DISY MP Giorgos Lysandridis said that there are specific recommendations from the Audit Office and that the Committee has received assurances from the relevant agencies that measures are already being taken and additional audits are underway, so that the registry can be finalized.
She added that, to this end, DISY has requested that the integration of the databases proceed immediately and that consideration be given to transferring certain benefits to other ministries, if necessary, or possibly decoupling the monthly honorary allowance from the pension currently paid to beneficiaries.
“Regarding the allegations that have been made, our position is clear. We call on the President of the Association of Prisoners of War, who was the recipient and sharer of this information, to proceed by submitting this information to the police so that investigations can move forward. One cannot cast shadows and leave everything and everyone in a state of vagueness, unsubstantiated reports, sensationalist headlines in newspapers and news bulletins, and further erode citizens’ trust in political parties and institutions. I must also publicly call on the investigative authorities to act on their own initiative and summon those involved so that the necessary investigation can take place. “If any irregular or illegal interference took place on the part of anyone, we demand that they clarify the matter as soon as possible and that everyone take responsibility,” he emphasized.
DIKO MP Adamos Aspris said that the Ministry of Labor has committed to reporting back within a month with specific findings following an investigation it will conduct, and as part of this investigation, an update is expected regarding the verification process to be followed, so that the data currently held by the government can be verified, but also to make the necessary adjustments to benefits wherever deemed necessary.
The Member of Parliament for Alma, Litsa Drousiotou, stated that according to the data presented, eight cases were identified in which the payment of the relevant benefits does not appear to be substantiated; at the same time, it was found that the records of the relevant agencies contained gaps in documentation and cases in which it was not possible to verify the procedure by which individuals were registered as beneficiaries.
“During the discussion, we at Alma requested specific answers regarding the corrective measures being planned, as well as the procedure that will be followed concerning the eight cases that were identified. We consider it essential to fully cross-check data among the relevant agencies, rectify weaknesses in the registries, and establish transparent and uniform verification procedures,” she stated.
“The State has an obligation to ensure that benefits are paid exclusively to the rightful beneficiaries without, at the same time, wronging those who were actually prisoners of war. The recognition and support of the 1974 prisoners of war is a matter of historical responsibility and respect. “There can be no ambiguity, lack of transparency, or injustice in such a sensitive matter,” he concluded.
Dimitris Souglis, a member of parliament for Direct Democracy, said that reports of interference by political parties do not concern Direct Democracy, adding that at a future session, the Chief of Police will be summoned to provide the names and for the matter to be reexamined.
Source: CNA
