ATTORNEY-general Petros Klerides has confirmed he has received the police report into the investigation regarding allegations of irregularities within the Health Ministry’s pharmaceutical services.
Among those allegedly implicated in the report is former pharmaceutical services head Louis Panayis, as well as other senior ministry officials.
Addressing the House Health Committee on Thursday, Klerides said the report was made up of 12 bulky files, whose summary alone was 484 pages.
Speaking to reporters, Klerides said Health Minister Charis Charalambous had also been informed the legal services had received the files.
He added that the case files had not yet been examined, but that even if they had been, he would not comment until the legal services had reached a final decision about how best to proceed.
According to Politis yesterday, the police report calls for former pharmaceutical services head Louis Panayis to be prosecuted, together with other senior officials employed at the service.
The daily said the report also suggested pressing charges against members of pharmaceutical companies’ representatives, who were involved in controversial procedures involving offers.
But investigators remain cautious about how likely it will be that they can build up a strong case will be.
Elements of the report were leaked to CyBC on Thursday night, claiming Panayis was facing charges of scandalous behaviour, favouritism, creating a climate of terror, squandering public money, and jeopardising patients’ welfare in his role as pharmaceutical services head.
But Panayis’ legal advisor, Christos Triantafyllides, doubted the investigation’s conclusions, pointing out that Andreas Moleski, the man appointed to investigate the allegations, had a suit against Panayis pending in court, and therefore had an interest in accusing his client.
Speaking on state radio, the Health Minister said the issue now lay with the Attorney-general to determine whether criminal responsibility would be apportioned and against whom.
EDEK deputy Marinos Sizopoulos, who in April 2005 said that the pharmaceutical services finances jeopardised human lives, told CyBC radio that the investigation’s results highlighted the irregular procedures followed to supply medical or pharmaceutical materials. He also claimed that during 2003 and 2004 more than £20 million of public funds had been squandered or appropriated.
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies’ association president Avgoustinos Potamitis said the association that had been one of the first to inform Auditor-general Chrystalla Yiorkadji that two companies had sold expensive drugs to the public sector.
