Clerides expects ministers’ financial statements by end of month

PRESIDENT Clerides expects to have full details of the personal wealth of his cabinet ministers by the end of this month, government spokesman Christos Stylianides said yesterday.

Speaking at his daily press briefing, Stylianides said some of the ministers had already handed in their details.

Information relating to Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides is however with the Auditor-general, the government spokesman said.

Michaelides has been accused by Disy deputy Christos Pourgourides on 14 counts of gaining personal wealth through alleged corruption during his term of office as Interior Minister.

The allegations are being investigated by the government.

Asked if the report would be made public, Stylianides said it would be difficult to keep something like that out of the public eye.

“There is a clear political will to put the knife to the bone on this issue and we mean this,” Stylianides said. “I think this has been proved by investigation into different issues.”

The government’s action on ministers’ wealth was instigated after growing public discontent over allegations that politicians and government employees were getting rich on dirty money.

Clerides put forward his proposal that ministers submit details of their personal wealth at a cabinet meeting in September, just days before Pourgourides said he had evidence implicating a government minister – Michaelides, who was not immediately named – in corruption.

The declaration of assets is believed to be linked to an anti-corruption bill that has been before the House of Representatives since 1993. Political parties have been dragging their heels over the bill.

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