DEFENCE Minister Costas Papacostas yesterday slammed politicians for acting as if they were “pure as the driven snow” when it came to nepotism, while asking his Ministry for favourable transfers for their own sons serving in the National Guard.

Speaking publicly for the first time since a huge political row broke out on Tuesday over alleged requests for political favours (rusfeti) addressed to the Defence Ministry from the President’s Private Office, Papacostas said that he regularly received requests for favourable transfers and secondments from MPs, ministers, state officials and political party bigwigs “and don’t let anyone tell me that there is a single politician who has never made any kind of intervention”.

Papacostas was vehement in his condemnation of the criticism directed by some MPs at the President’s office and the President Christofias himself, despite the fact that close presidential aide Vassos Georgiou resigned on Tuesday after a member of his staff sent transfer requests to the Defence Ministry. It was done without Georgiou’s knowledge.

“We live in Cyprus, and know what goes on. That’s why what annoys me most of all are those people – mostly political figures – who do all these things, and then act as if they are pure as the driven snow, and at the end of the day even demand the President’s head on a platter”, Papacostas said.

“This is an appalling phenomenon – on the one hand you have them doing the same things themselves, and on the other they are accusing others and are trying to assign political blame. Let’s finally put a stop to this game, this populism”, he added.

The Minister said that he spends “at least two hours each evening” going through correspondence regarding transfers, including those from parents, but only acts on requests of a humanitarian or social nature, referring them to the National Guard General Staff (NGGS) and the army’s Social Problems Committee (SPC) for consideration in line with regulations.

“Matters that are not of a humanitarian or social nature are not assessed, wherever they may come from. They go straight in the bin”, he added.

Papacostas said that his aim is always to consider each problem on its own merits and take appropriate action in line with official procedure, rather than to oblige a particular party or MP, “which is why I do not regard submitting requests as unlawful”.