Christos Mylonopoulos confirmed to Alpha that he had submitted his resignation from the five-member investigative team appointed to examine the findings of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authorityregarding the “Mafia State,” while also offering his own response to the criticism that had preceded it.

In statements to Alpha, Mr. Mylonopoulos said that “it is well known that I am neither controlled nor influenced,” adding that “this probably annoyed some people, and, like Zolotas, they intended to slander me.”

READ ALSO: Mylonopoulos Resigns from the Investigative Committee on the “Mafia State” Scandal Following the Uproar

At the same time, the President’s Office confirmed his departure, clarifying that Mr. Mylonopoulos removed himself from the team of independent criminal investigators not because any substantive issue or conflict of interest had arisen, but for reasons of institutional sensitivity and to safeguard public confidence in the handling of the case.

According to the Presidency, the decision is intended to protect the proceedings from any shadow of doubt or unfair impression, so that the investigation may proceed unimpeded, with complete independence, objectivity, and institutional safeguards.

SEE ALSO: From Authority to Conflict of Interest: How Mylonopoulos Was Appointed to the Investigative Team for the “Mafia State”

Mr. Mylonopoulos’s resignation followed the intense political backlash triggered by his appointment to the investigative team, as he had served as the defense attorney for Michail Zolotas in the Cypriot authorities’ request for his extradition from Greece, in connection with the Focus case. This sparked a debate over a potential conflict of interest, with the government maintaining that there was no substantive issue—a position it reiterated even after his departure.

SEE ALSO: “Uproar” over Mylonopoulos: Strong reactions to the conflict of interest in the criminal investigation into the “Mafia State”