THE GOVERNMENT yesterday ordered a criminal investigation into claims that insiders at the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA) were handing out data on private telephone conversations at a price.
The decision came as Finance Minister Michalis Sarris turned down CyTA chairman Stavros Kremmos’ offer to resign.
After a lengthy meeting, the Cabinet yesterday appointed Savvas Matsa, a state prosecutor, and Athanasios Socratous, a retired police officer, to carry out the investigation.
Announcing the decision, Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis also confirmed Kremmos’ resignation had not been accepted, due to the imminent investigation.
“Independent of the reasons that pushed Mr Kremmos into submitting his resignation, his application was not accepted, especially in view of the investigation that has already been ordered,” said Pashiardis, adding: “It was necessary under the circumstances to reject his resignation.”
Earlier in the day, Kremmos had announced that he had offered his resignation to Finance Minister Michalis Sarris.
“My resignation is at your disposal because if I realise that the Board of Directors is under investigation too – I don’t know the nature of the investigation and neither the nature of the data that has been given – then me and my colleagues will take on our responsibilities.
Personally as CyTA president, I will resign today depending on what the AG says,” Kremmos said.
However, Attorney-general Petros Clerides told him that the investigation did not concern him personally and therefore he should wait and see how the situation proceededs. Clerides met yesterday with police chief Charalambos Koulentis and Kremmos to discuss and coordinate their next moves.
Politis newspaper, which brought the scandal to light earlier in the week, yesterday presented more information, claiming that it was not just data on phone calls that were being handed out, but also the identities of the persons involved in the conversation. It also claimed that police had been involved in some incidents, requesting information on members of the public to assist their investigations.
The paper handed all its data and information to the AG on Tuesday.
According to Pashiardis, Matsa and Socratous were appointed to investigate all angles of the matter, including any role the police may have played.
The Cabinet did not impose a deadline for the investigation, but the spokesman said that due to the seriousness of the situation, a limit would be set as soon as there were developments in the investigation.
He insisted the investigation’s outcome would be made public. “This government does not tolerate any type of observation on any member of public.”
Pashiardis added: “The government itself ensures in every possible way the protection of the private life and telephone conversations of the public.”
Telecommunications’ Regulator Vassos Pyrgos also became involved yesterday. In a letter to CyTA, Pyrgos asked to be informed on the investigations.
Pyrgos said his office would impose fines if the investigation showed there had been a violation of CyTA’s licensing conditions.
Pyrgos was also asked to explain if pay-as-you-go phones offered greater protection from phone taps.
“The difference between top-up cards and a subscriber is that the owner of the pay-as-you-go has not given any data that would show who this pre-paid card belongs to,” he explained.
THE government yesterday called on DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades to hand in the evidence of claims that when members of the administration wished to contact him, they requested he use a pay-as-you-go phone so their conversation could not be tapped.
Government Spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis said the government was not aware if Anastassiades’ private telecommunication was being tapped, but called on the DISY leader to hand in any evidence he may have to prove the contrary.
“Mr Anastassiades states that he is not concerned if his telephone conversations are being monitored. The government, however, is concerned, as it not only does not tolerate any type of tapping, but is responsible for ensuring and protecting the constitutional rights of the public,” said Pashiardis.
He added that Anastassiades “has the obligation to report any incidents responsibly and provide the relevant evidence, if of course he is absolutely certain that he is being monitored”.
Asked to comment on the opposition’s criticism over the “lukewarm” reaction by the government on the matter, Pashiardis said: “The position and reaction of the government on this matter was not lukewarm, as the opposition claims. It was and is responsible.”
House President and AKEL leader Demetris Christofias said he didn’t wish to comment on “Nicos Anastassiades’ fairy tales”.
Christofias was speaking after a meeting with Archbishop Chrysostomos, who quipped.
“I have absolutely no problem if my telephone is being monitored. In fact when I talk on the phone, I make sure I speak slowly and clearly so that those monitoring my conversation do not miss a word,” the Archbishop joked.
