By Athena Karsera
FRESH CHARGES were yesterday leveled against Bambos Anastassiades during a stormy meeting of the House’s ad hoc committee on crime.
An argument between two deputies led to one naming Anastassiades — the twin brother of Disy leader Nicos Anastassiades and once reported to have worked as a special policeman — as being behind leaks of police examination papers.
Bambos Anastassiades is currently being held in custody on suspicion of forging work permits for foreigners.
On October 6 this year, Akel Deputy Costas Papacostas — a former chief of police — told the committee that a network of crooked officers had been stealing police exam papers and selling them for up to £200.
Yesterday, he named Anastassiades during a heated discussion with Disy deputy Rikkos Erotokritou.
“One of the brains behind this leak was Bambos Anastassiades,” Papacostas said. “It’s the first time I said this and I did not say this before because I did not want to add another charge against this person, but my colleague forced me to say something I did not want to say.”
Papacostas had been complaining that a letter he had sent to the chief of police Andreas Angelides and a discussion he had initiated at the earlier Committee meeting had not had any result. He added that his letter had been leaked to the press.
Erotokritou said Papacostas was not in position to complain about the leaking of a letter that did not mention any names, at which point an angry Papacostas named Anastassiades.
Edek deputy Doros Theodorou said police chief Angelides had told the committee he had never received the letter.
But Justice Minister Nicos Koshis, who was also present at the committee, confirmed that a policeman had been specially sent to deliver the letter to the police chief.
The committee then closed its doors to the public and continued its session in camera.
Koshis was expected to brief the committee on developments in the visa scandal involving Anastassiades and Immigration Chief Christodoulos Nicolaides, who is accused of issuing work and residents permits for cash.
Earlier in the day, Nicos Anastassiades repeated his determination to help stamp out every scandal.
But he added that objectiveness was needed and that some people had been taking advantage of the situation.
Speaking to CyBC, Anastassiades said: “I have the impression that some ethics, either political or journalistic, are not being maintained.”
He said the handling of the issue would have consequences on the entire political arena.
He said that while all true scandals should be dealt with,
“there are scandals that come about on their own and others that are that are manufactured and this is where we need to talk about integrity.”
He also said that any crimes had not been limited to one particular political party: “Crime does not have a colour, not blue, not red, not green or any other colour, it is not connected to politics.”
He said the visa situation had not occurred “over one day or a short time” and that the reason it had emerged today was because of the government’s determination to deal with the problem.
House Watchdog Committee president Christos Pourgourides meanwhile yesterday said that the government should have uncovered the scandal earlier: “Certainly the measure taken by the government today should have been taken before. Better late than never.”
He said the government action should be universally supported.
He also, however, implied that government investigators did not always carry out their jobs thoroughly enough. “There were cases where the government appointed investigators, who proved to be not up to the situation, did not investigate as they should have. To me this is like a cover-up.”
Pourgourides last year levelled public charges of corruption against the then-Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides.
Michaelides was cleared of all the charges following a government investigation, though he did eventually resign.
“I don’t think either (the government or the Attorney-general) are above reproach,” Pourgourides said. “When the government makes the right moves, we have to support it. When it deserves to be criticised, it should be.”
Immigration chief Nicolaides yesterday spent the day in police custody after being taken to hospital after he complained of chest pains on Tuesday night.
He had just been remanded in custody for a further six days on charges of accepting bribes for issuing work and residence permits to foreigners.
Police said yesterday they had on Tuesday carried out searches at Nicolaides’ home, his daughter’s home and another home belonging to his family.
According to a police report, various objects connected to the case were collected as evidence.
Nicolaides is the most senior official so far arrested in connection with the permits-for-pay investigation.
Several police officers from different divisions and two businessmen with close ties to Disy, including Bambos Anastassiades, have also been remanded.
Nicolaides’ lawyer yesterday submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court against his clients’ remand, claiming the evidence did not justify the decision and the court had ignored the suspect’s medical condition. The appeal will be heard tomorrow at noon.
