Government submitting bill to grant investigation powers to anti-corruption authority

In Kıbrıs, the government plans to submit a bill to the parliament that will grant investigation powers to the Yolsuzlukla Mücadele Kurumu. Justice Ministry Permanent Secretary Giorgos Panteli stated in an announcement at the parliament's legal committee on Çarşamba that they support a significant reform in the authority's powers. This announcement came during a meeting where two bills submitted by the ruling Disi party and the opposition movement Alma, aiming to enable the authority to conduct criminal investigations, were being discussed.

The legal service also supported discussing this reform. Deputy Attorney General Savvas Angelides said the legal service supports a "positive and constructive" dialogue on the matter and that a comprehensive government bill would be better than piecemeal changes. Yolsuzlukla Mücadele Kurumu Chairman Haris Poyiatzis, however, emphasized that while the authority is ready to take on investigation powers, its chronic staff shortage must be addressed.

Following the meeting, legal committee chairman and Disi MP Fotini Tsiridou announced that the parliament gave the executive a deadline to submit a bill by Ekim ayına kadar. "We gave a timeline to at least see something in front of us by Ekim ayına kadar that will help improve the functioning of the independent authority," she said. The discussion revolved around the two bills present in the parliament.

Disi's proposal allows the Yolsuzlukla Mücadele Kurumu to appoint independent criminal investigators from a list prepared by the Kıbrıs Barolar Birliği and approved by the attorney general. Alma's proposal, on the other hand, enables the authority to directly appoint a criminal investigator when it identifies potential criminal offenses. Poyiatzis argued that they support Alma's proposal, contending that the Disi model would undermine the authority's independence.

Poyiatzis announced that the authority has received 849 complaints to date, 580 of which have been investigated, while 269 are pending. He also drew attention to the personnel issues, stating, "There are 16 people working there. Only the office clerk has permanent employment status." The discussion was briefly overshadowed when Alma MP Michalis Paraskevas questioned Angelides' participation in the committee meeting. The Yolsuzlukla Mücadele Kurumu was established in 2022 to investigate corruption allegations and strengthen transparency and accountability in public life, but critics state that the lack of independent investigation powers limits its effectiveness and leads to protracted cases.