The anti-corruption authority is on Tuesday expected to issue an announcement regarding its findings into the explosive allegations made in the book Mafia State.

As previously stated, the authority will not publish the entire report compiled by its team of investigators. Rather, it will issue a “detailed announcement” summarising its key findings.

The Cyprus Mail understands that if the authority determines that criminal offences may have been committed by the subjects of the investigation, it will specifically mention these offences in the statement, as well as the person or persons involved.

Sources close to the authority declined to give any information ahead of the announcement, advising “patience”.

First published in late 2022, Mafia State is authored by investigative journalist Makarios Drousiotis.

It portrays Cyprus as a systemically corrupt state and levels allegations at former president Nicos Anastasiades and other senior officials.

Anastasiades has categorically rejected all allegations, and has sued Drousiotis for defamation. He is expected to be briefed over the findings before a general statement is made.

The investigators working for the anti-corruption authority handed over their final report at the end of April.

The dossier is said to be approximately 3,000 pages long.

During the probe, the investigators held some 200 sessions, interviewing 150 people, while 793 evidentiary items were submitted.

Anastasiades was one of the persons interviewed, and the main subject of the investigation.

Also interviewed was President Nikos Christodoulides, summoned as a witness.

The probe had been announced by the anti-corruption authority in early 2023, after the authority received a letter from Andreas Mavroyiannis, then a presidential candidate. The investigation itself did not begin until spring of 2024.

Should the findings suggest the commission of criminal offences, the report itself would be forwarded to the attorney-general. The latter would then decide whether to prosecute or not.

Assuming a criminal investigation is warranted, one issue is whether attorney-general Giorgos Savvides and his deputy Savvas Angelides should be involved – given they were both appointed by Anastasiades.

Criminologist and well-known pundit Elias Stefanou has suggested that Savvides and Angelides should therefore recuse themselves from any such involvement – ensuring impartiality.

Moreover, he told Politis that even if these two officials do recuse themselves, that still leaves the matter of the rest of the staff at the attorney-general’s office being accountable to them.

Stefanou therefore suggested that, should a criminal investigation be ordered, it should be undertaken by independent criminal investigators, assisted by prominent jurists.

As it stands, the anti-corruption authority may summon witnesses, and any witness who fails to show up or answer questions will have committed a criminal offence. However, the authority has no criminal investigatory powers as such.

Previously, the Ecologists had tabled a bill that would have given the authority such powers. But the party is now out of parliament. New party, Alma, has made similar noises.