Former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides said on Thursday that he had made evidenced statements to the police backing up his claim that President Nikos Christodoulides had been aware since July last year of the Supreme Court’s intention to unanimously suspend him.
Michaelides, who had initially made the claim publicly on Omega TV, said in a social media post that he was “examining the possibility of informing the European Court of Human Rights [ECtHR] in the context of the appeal I have already registered.”
He also said he was impressed with the “speed and decisiveness” with which the government, the Supreme Constitutional Court, and Attorney-General George Savvides had reacted to his claim, which he said, “politically exposed the president”.
“I hope that henceforth they will demonstrate equal decisiveness for the very serious matters of corruption and embroilment that plague our country,” he added.
“Cyprus needs clean politicians, not communication tricks and hypocritical behaviours. As I mentioned straight after my dismissal, I am now free to speak.”
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis declined to elaborate when called upon to respond to the claims made by Michaelides.
Speaking on Thursday morning to CyBC radio, Hartsiotis limited his comments to reiterating his belief that the organs of state, including the attorney-general’s office, had acted swiftly and would be effective and diligent in carrying out their legally delineated duties.
The Supreme Constitutional Court on Wednesday called on Michaelides to submit all evidence in his possession regarding the “collusion and corruption” he had alleged within the court in relation to its decision to relieve him of his duties as auditor-general in September last year.
The court called for an immediate investigation of Michaelides’ complaint, and police chief Themistos Arnaoutis also called Michaelides to submit any information in writing, acting on instructions from Savvides.
Michaelides had said he was willing to testify and repeat under oath what he had said publicly.
Michaelides had written on social media on Wednesday that Christodoulides had been “hiding behind his minister [Savvides], instead of giving explanations about why his associates stated that they were aware of the Supreme Constitutional Court decision to disqualify me even before the final closing arguments.”
“He is once again using communication tricks,” Michaelides said of Christodoulides.
He added that if Christodoulides’ government really wanted to protect the institutions, it should address the problems in the field of justice, which are causing “insecurity, anxiety and fear throughout society”.
Additionally, he said, “miscarriages of justice which can be substantiated” had already been included in his application to the ECtHR, along with the other arguments regarding the alleged violation of his fundamental human rights.
The court’s call to Michaelides to submit all evidence in his possession for his claims, came after he announced the formation of his new political party, Alma, on Monday.
Michaelides was appointed by then president Nicos Anastasiades as auditor-general in 2014, and was relieved of his duties by the Supreme Constitutional in September last year, with an eight-judge panel unanimously ruling that he had conducted himself inappropriately, and that he was thus unfit to carry out the office’s duties.
The court’s verdict was 209 pages long and scathing, with Michaelides having been found to have repeatedly sought to undermine attorney-general George Savvides’ legal opinions, often writing his own interpretations which contradicted those of Savvides.
It was written in the decision that Michaelides “did not limit himself to the role of the whistleblower to the independent anti-corruption authority but reserved for himself the role of a judge after proceeding to draw conclusions on his statements and submissions.”
Additionally, the court referred to “obscene content” which occurred on a social media page dedicated to supporting Michaelides, saying that although the page did not belong to Michaelides, “it bore his name and photograph.”
In December, Michaelides had written to the House audit committee alleging that Christodoulides and Savvides had colluded to get him sacked.
“Obviously, however, the president’s plan, together with the attorney-general and his assistant [Savvas Angelides] was to eliminate me. This is something they ultimately achieved with the president’s decisive influence and with the help of seven members of the Supreme Constitutional Court,” he wrote at the time.
He then added that “it became clear in retrospect” that Savvides was “washing off Christodoulides’ debts”, and that at the same time, Savvides and Christodoulides were “at the presidential palace discussing the strategy they would follow and who would sign the application to court to have me removed”.
He had earlier said his sacking “essentially abolishes the audit service and democracy”, adding that it “puts a corset, a gag, on the audit office.”
“It is a black day for Cyprus and a black day for our service,” he said.
Savvides had in turn warned those decrying the decision to read it before passing judgement.
“A court order has been issued and I just want to emphasise that it is important to support the [Republic’s] institutions, and to show the required respect to the Supreme Constitutional Court. Woe betide us if we lose faith in the courts,” he said.
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