By Charlie Charalambous
ANTI-CORRUPTION crusader Christos Pourgourides yesterday made shock revelations that he has been the target of mafia death threats because of his efforts to expose a crooked minister.
The House Watchdog Committee chairman said he had been advised to look under his car for bombs ever since going public with allegations about corruption in the government.
“Business people and other civilians saying they are concerned about me are either telling me to be careful or to look under my car,” Pourgourides told CyBC radio yesterday.
“I’m certain many of those telling me to look for bombs under my car are not doing it because they love me.”
Pourgourides suggested that the minister he was investigating had underworld connections and was using these contacts to persuade him to stop his campaign.
Asked in the CyBC interview whether underworld types close to the unnamed minister were making the threats, Pourgourides replied:
“My response is yes.
“These people have said they have friendly ties with the said minister and I have every reason to believe them.”
Nevertheless, the Disy deputy said he was determined to name the minister and go public with hard evidence despite the threats.
“We can’t let these people cultivate a climate of fear and leave things to develop like in Columbia. We can’t let this level of corruption on a small island go on.”
The spectre of underworld crime lurking in the corridors of political power was given short thrift by Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides yesterday.
“I will not add further fuel to such theatre.”
Keeping on the theatrical theme, Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides described the Pourgourides claims as “theatre of the absurd”.
Pourgourides said his allegations had nothing to with theatre, but warned that “tragedy” and the “final curtain” were only days away.
In additional claims made against the minister yesterday, the politician said he had strong evidence that property had been obtained all over the UK by illegal means.
“All I need is verification that this minister obtained property and houses in the most expensive street in Britain,” Pourgourides said.
Attorney-general Alecos Markides has said he is prepared to launch an enquiry into corruption in public life if Pourgourides provided the necessary evidence.
But the deputy said he would only hand over his information to President Clerides and not the police first.
“Ordering a police investigation is just one type of cover-up.”
Newspapers reports have claimed that Pourgourides is being fed information against a specific cabinet member by opposition party Diko.
Both Pourgourides and Diko leader Spyros Kyprianou have dismissed the reports as “fantasy”.
“If I want to make accusations I will do it myself, I don’t need other people to do it for me,” Kyprianou said.
