THE leaked lists of politicians doing favours in the military are probably genuine, but not official documents, former Defence Minister Koullis Mavronikolas said yesterday.
He broke his silence days after Politis sent shockwaves across the political landscape by publishing lists of people asking for transfers and their benefactors, complete with names and dates.
The sponsors included personalities such as House Speaker Demetris Christofias, former presidential aide Polakis Sarris, DIKO deputy Nicos Cleanthous, former Finance Minister (now EU Health Commissioner) Marcos Kyprianou and former Interior Minister Andreas Christou.
The revelations ruffled more than a few feathers, but as expected the majority of politicians named in the lists defended their actions, saying it was not unusual to help conscripts on “humanitarian” or health grounds.
Mavronikolas himself, who in the past was accused of practicing mass nepotism to garner votes for the EDEK party while he was in office, yesterday passed the buck to the National Guard.
“I had nothing to do with the cases mentioned in the [published] documents,” he said.
“Most likely, the lists were prepared by someone on their own initiative, with a view to leaking them to the media in order to hurt the Defence Minister and EDEK.”
Though admitting to periodically receiving requests for assistance from recruits or officers, Mavronikolas claimed that these requests were always passed on to the appropriate organs at National Guard headquarters.
In other words, as far as the former minister was concerned, everything was done by the book.
Politis’ source has been the subject of much speculation, almost becoming a Cypriot version of Deep Throat.
However, this might turn into a problem when the paper is asked by the Defence Ministry – which is investigating the affair – to disclose its information.
Meanwhile no sooner has the probe been announced than already its credibility has been undermined.
First, President Papadopoulos confidently asserted over the weekend that a 2001 law making unwarranted nepotism in the civil service a criminal offense does not cover the military.
But the President got his facts wrong, prompting the Government Spokesman yesterday to explain that the President was making an “off-the-cuff remark”.
Article 3 of the relevant law specifically cites the Armed Forces and Security Forces.
Still, many are sceptical that a whitewash is in the works: the President has instructed the Defence Ministry to investigate all cases of potential nepotism from December 2005 onward, that is, after the introduction of a new merit-assessment system in the military.
Incidentally, all of Politis’ examples date from before December 2005, so how the years 2003 and 2004 can be properly investigated is anyone’s guess.
To increase the confusion, Defense Minister Nicos Simeonides said yesterday that ‘rusfeti’ (nepotism) in the military has not been criminalised, thus agreeing with the President’s earlier statement.
But politicians from parties as diverse as DIKO, DISY and the United Democrats begged to differ.
“The party establishment have been caught with their pants down… with serial numbers, dates, the works,” quipped United Democrats leader Michalis Papapetrou.
“Now, all of a sudden, they [the parties] remembered that they are charitable organidations, helping out conscripts out of compassion. If that is so, then why did the 2001 law not exclude acts of charity from rusfeti?”
WHEN DOES A FAVOUR BECOME NEPOTISM?
The Mail yesterday contacted former Interior Minister Andreas Christou, whose name appears on the list as a benefactor.
“It would be hypocrisy to try and hide the fact that favours are asked of politicians. This happens all the time,” he said.
But not all favours should be regarded with suspicion, he added.
“Sometimes it’s about helping people out, not about giving someone an unfair advantage.”
Asked who decides if a request is justified or not, and whether it would not be better for people to go through normal channels first, Christou replied:
“Deputies are the normal channels… after all, they are the elected representatives of the people.”
