FORMER Attorney-general Solon Nikitas died yesterday, after a long career in public life that was not without its share of controversies.
The news came as a shock to most; it emerged yesterday that Nikitas had been battling cancer for some years now, a little-known fact outside an intimate circle.
Even President Tassos Papadopoulos seemed taken aback on learning of the event. He found out about Nikitas’ death only when asked by journalists to comment. The President was attending a military drill at the time.
Born in Limassol in 1937, Nikitas worked for the Nicosia Chamber of Commerce before heading out to England to study law. From 1961 to 1971 he maintained a private practice as a lawyer in Nicosia.
Rising through the ranks, in 1988 Nikitas was appointed chief justice at the Supreme Court. He published books on law and represented Cyprus at several international law forums.
His distinguished career reached a peak in April 2003 on being appointed Attorney-general, succeeding Alecos Markides.
But his no-nonsense, by-the-book-style quickly earned him a steady following of detractors, primarily from political quarters, unaccustomed to an Attorney-general who would not play ball. Criticism, warranted or not, also came from the wider public. In one memorable instance, Nikitas came through as hardheaded when he refused to ratify all of the President’s pardons to inmates at the Central Prisons.
Tensions with the Presidency and parties reached a head late last year, when Nikitas ordered a criminal investigation into former Health Minister Dina Akkelidou, charged with meddling in the course of justice.
It emerged that Akkelidou had sent a District Court judge a letter containing information on a suspect accused of importing, using and dealing drugs. In the letter, she urged the judge to take into account certain mitigating factors regarding the suspect’s history.
A row unfolded as the AKEL party (to which Akkelidou belongs) publicly attacked Nikitas for his uncompromising stance. But the former Attorney-general refused to back down, saying that everyone was equal before the law – including ministers.
Although Akkelidou was found guilty by a district court, the Supreme Court later overturned the decision. Nikitas promptly resigned his position in protest, implying that the top court had bowed to political pressure.
His resignation drew more fire from his opponents, who hinted Nikitas could not handle defeat. Even the president, who had appointed Nikitas, joined in the campaign, stating that a public official should respect the judicial authorities.
But Nikitas countered he was resigning as a matter of principle; feeling that the Supreme Court had let itself and the public down, so it was better to make a dignified exit.
The 68-year-old Nikitas leaves behind a wife and two children.