CBC governor interviewed by police

Central Bank (CBC) Governor Chrystalla Georghadji gave a statement to police on Wednesday afternoon, as part of an investigation into a complaint about the leaked details of MP loans.

Police said the governor gave a statement to the CID after a complaint filed by independent MP Zaharias Koulias, who took offence at the leaked Bank of Cyprus (BoC) list of MPs’ loans.

The case concerns personal data violations.

It showed that out of the 37 MPs listed, 19 owed BoC a total of €51.2m and 13 of those had NPLs totalling €35.3m.

Their total combined collateral stood at €47.1m. In addition, 20 out of the 37 were guarantors for loans worth €72.9m.

CBC Governor Georghadji told MPs at the time that the list was put together in the same way the UK does with respect to politically exposed persons.

Furious MPs spoke of an attempt by the central bank to blackmail lawmakers through leaks to the press with information about their loan arrears.

BoC said in the case of the political leaders included in the list, the overall amounts listed as obligations of DISY leader Averof Neophytou and AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou, included loans to their parties.

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.