Filenews 26 July 2024 - by Chrysanthos Manoli
A serious issue of political order arises for the Christodoulides Government, since it was forced yesterday to confess that since last March it was informed by the European Union Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) of the opening of an investigation into the procedures and conditions for the award in 2019 of the project concerning the creation of a natural gas import terminal in Vasilikos, without informing the Parliament since then. neither competent - involved - authorities, nor public opinion.
However, a question of order for the Government and the police authorities also arises in substance: Was an investigation carried out by the Cypriot police authorities, following the relevant instructions of the European Public Prosecutor's Office?
Phileleftheros' information indicates that the investigation has not been launched, at least not on its merits. The Government and the Police are invited to inform the public whether, following the information they had received since March by the European Public Prosecutor's Office on the need for an investigation, they received statements or questioned officials or officials directly related to the tender and award of the tender for the LNG terminal in Vasilikos, in conflict with the observations and suggestions of the Auditor General, but also investigations into the tragic, as it turns out, management of the contract with the Chinese CPP.
Suddenly yesterday afternoon, the Deputy Government Spokesman issued a statement stating that "the Government has been informed since last March by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the European Union of the opening of an investigation into the procedures and conditions for the award, in 2019, of the project concerning the creation of a natural gas import terminal in Vasilikos. Since then, the Cypriot authorities have been in full cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor's Office in order to thoroughly investigate the case and attribute any responsibilities where and where they exist. He also stressed that "the instructions of the President of the Republic are to have a full investigation around this issue. No one is above legality and there will be no reduction in the principles of transparency and accountability."
Why did the Government remember yesterday to inform the population that the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has been conducting an investigation since March into the conditions under which the LNG terminal contract was awarded to CPP? This was preceded on Monday by AKEL MP Irene Charalambidou posts on social media about her information that an investigation is being carried out by the EU Public Prosecutor's Office, along with evidence of the first results of the investigation she conducted on the matter.
This was followed yesterday by a report on sigmalive, for information from the EU Public Prosecutor's Office that an investigation is indeed ongoing. Around 4 p.m., the statement of the Deputy Government Spokesman was issued and half an hour later, CNA's correspondent in Brussels, George Kakouris, sent an update on the announcement of the European Public Prosecutor's Office from Luxembourg, where it is based.
In short, the Government informed public opinion of the investigation only when it realised that it could no longer keep it secret.
However, a very serious issue of political order arises, as the issue has been at the forefront of the news for almost two years and has occupied meetings of the parliamentary Audit Committee and the parliamentary Committee on Energy in recent months, without the representatives of the executive power saying once that an investigation is being carried out by the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Given yesterday's announcement by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the Government should now officially and publicly inform whether reports are correct that both the EPPO and the European Court of Auditors are considering claiming back the money given to EFA in the context of the €100 million grant or if they intend to discontinue the allocation of any amount other than that already given to ETYFA.
