By Charlie Charalambous
A TURBULENT session of yesterday’s House Watchdog Committee shot down a motion by Disy to suspend any further discussion on corruption allegations levelled at Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides.
Opposition parties Akel and Diko accused Disy and its leader Nicos Anastassiades of trying to cover up the issue and gagging committee chairman Christos Pourgourides.
Coalition partner Edek voted with the two parties to continue the committee’s probe into whether Michaelides’ conduct was politically unacceptable.
After two hours of political point scoring and frayed tempers, the committee opted by a majority decision to continue its probe, and for each party to make its position on Michaelides clear at next Thursday’s meeting.
As committee chairman, Pourgourides put forward the motion for the Michaelides probe to be suspended until the on-going criminal investigation is completed.
This motion was agreed last Monday after a meeting by Disy’s parliamentary party, after which Anastassiades had confidently stated that the parties would follow suit.
“None of us as deputies or party members can accept a third party telling us what to do. We suggest the issue should go ahead,” said Akel’s Aristofanis Georgiou.
Diko’s Nicos Cleanthous said the committee had waited patiently for President Clerides to launch a proper investigation, but instead he had ordered the Auditor-general to collect evidence, which was “unspecified and unverified”.
As a consequence, any further investigation would run into a dead-end, the Diko deputy said.
“All the facts oblige us not just to continue, but to send the right message because the public feels deceived and confused and we are all seen as responsible for that,” said Cleanthous.
The Diko deputy also accused his Disy colleagues of “stitching up” Pourgourides by pressuring him to put forward the motion.
Tired of the mud-slinging at Disy, Pourgourides spoke plainly about what he thought were the bones of the issue.
“He (Michaelides) is unsuitable to be a minister and used his position for unlawful enrichment. Taking advantage of such a position is unacceptable political conduct.”
Pourgourides also charged the minister with “telling a pack of lies” in order to cling on to power.
However, Disy’s Socrates Hasikos took exception to the opposition parties belittling the efforts of the Auditor-general, the Attorney-general and the President to get to the bottom of the corruption allegations.
“Are we all trying to say that these people are useless and that we will become the investigators?”
Becoming increasingly rattled, he added, “we are a political body not a committee of investigators.”
Disy is the only party not to condemn President Clerides for refusing to accept Michaelides’ resignation at the weekend.
Akel’s Takis Hadjigeorgiou wondered why Disy was suddenly so eager to stop the probe, when, for the past 70-odd days, Pourgourides and other members had said they would do everything to “clean out the stable”.
“You are now deceiving the public, because before you were telling the truth. I want to know the source of this ridicule.”
Hadjigeorgiou suggested that it was the whole political system that needed a fresh overhaul, and not just the question of one minister.
“You must look at the government and the system that produces ministers such as Mr Michaelides.”
In a reference to Hadjigeorgiou’s communist party affiliations, Disy’s Rikkos Erotocritou quipped: “What about the Soviet Union?”
A barrage of innuendo suggesting Disy would make its outspoken deputy pay the price for rocking the boat was hardly disowned by Pourgourides.
“I am a Disy deputy, but I can’t say for how long I will remain one before I am struck off.”
Hasikos tried to reassure his fellow Disy deputy that no such move was being plotted behind the party scenes.
“Well, maybe Akel’s sources are better informed than yours,” a visibly strained Pourgourides replied.
