The Independent Authority Against Corruption is set to issue one of three new reports concerning an investigation into a senior Tax Department officer who alleged retaliation after reporting misconduct.
Transparency Commissioner and head of the Authority, Haris Poyiatzis, told Parliament last Tuesday that all three findings would be published by early December. The move comes as the Authority prepares to publish two other widely known reports: one into allegations by MP Christos Christofides and the other concerning the Trimiklini case.
The report on the Tax Department is expected by the end of November.
Tax Department investigation
The report stems from a complaint filed by a senior Tax Department official concerning events from the mid-2010s.
The complainant reportedly flagged alleged poor practices within the Service and subsequently suffered retaliation. The official claimed a disciplinary process was initiated against them due to their “zero tolerance” for negative practices they sought to address. The senior executive also alleged they were targeted for dismissal because they had filed appeals with the Administrative Court to annul counter-candidates’ promotions. Letters regarding the case were also sent to the Public Service Commission and the Attorney General.
The complainant had also faced a separate disciplinary investigation regarding a complaint lodged by a businessman and football executive. They were also investigated over a letter to the former President of the Republic in which they allegedly claimed to hold copies of cases handled during their time as a senior executive.
The Authority must approve a summary report following the investigation before any details are made public. Based on its legislation, the Authority will decide whether to publish the names of those involved.
Christofides allegations
The Authority is expected to publish the findings of the investigation into the allegations made by MP Christos Christofides next week.
The probe focused on two of the three complaints submitted by the MP, both of which relate to naturalisations. The first concerns foreign investors who obtained a Cypriot passport and appear to have made contributions to the Democratic Rally party. The second involves naturalised investors who were shareholders in the Russian bank Promsvyazbank.
The bank operated in Cyprus and was housed in a building constructed by a company established by Yiannis Misirlis, the son-in-law of former President Nicos Anastasiades. Misirlis’ company had previously stated that it sold the building to Promsvyazbank in 2008, during the administration of Demetris Christofias, asserting that the subsequent naturalisations were unrelated to the transaction.
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