AKEL has launched a fierce attack against the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, following the decision to renew, for a third consecutive term, the appointment of the president of the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police (AADIPA), Andreas Paschalides, for a third consecutive term.

The announcement reads as follows:

Nikos Christodoulides’ decision to renew the appointment of Andreas Paschalidis, chairman of the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police (AADIPA), constitutes an institutional aberration, violates every concept of good governance and ethics, and is a gross insult to the intelligence of the entire society.

Mr. Paschalidis, a criminal investigator in the VideoGate case, secured the renewal of his term by Nikos Christodoulides and his Cabinet at the very moment he is investigating the case—which involves the Presidency and Nikos Christodoulides himself— for institutional corruption and collusion, possible political bribery, and the use of the First Lady’s Fund in exchange for political favors.

This decision, at this particular juncture—just a few days before the release of the findings on VideoGate—is completely at odds with the need for an impartial investigation and casts serious doubt on the findings even before they are published.

When the person under investigation for institutional corruption and collusion reappoints the person investigating him, then the issue is not a legal one but a deeply political one. Through his actions, Mr. Christodoulides has become accustomed to flouting every trace of justice and the rule of law, faithfully following in the footsteps of his predecessor.