Government says minister has no case to answer

GOVERNMENT spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides yesterday sought to quash reports of “vested interests” in the awarding of a government tender to an international company with “links” to the family company of Commerce Minister George Lillikas.

In a report on Sunday, Politis raised the issue of “unethical practice” by claiming that the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), which comes under the competence of the Commerce Ministry, had awarded an advertising contract for 2004 and 2005 to an international company with links to Marketway, a company owned by Lillikas and his wife.

Although the two companies share an association of sorts, this does not mean one receives financial benefits from the actions of the other in another country, explained Chrysostomides yesterday.

He told reporters that Lillikas had responded to the accusation, fully informing President Tassos Papadopoulos of the situation and as such, no further investigation would be taken on the matter.

“The minister has personally answered to the reports. He says his company has no connection with the tenders submitted to the CTO and received no financial benefit from the selection of any company. There is a connection of sorts (between the two companies) but for professional purposes. In this particular case, regarding the advertising campaign for CTO abroad, this has nothing to do with Marketway in Cyprus,” said Chrysostomides.

When quizzed further on the next steps to be taken by the government, he replied: “This is the explanation (Lillikas) gave to me today. He fully informed the President. At the moment, there is no intention of investigating the matter further. I have nothing further to add to what the minister told me.”

Asked if could confirm that Marketway did not profit from this advertising campaign, Chrysostomides replied that that is what the minister had told him, adding “There has been no further investigation apart from the explanations given by the commerce minister.”