The Audit Office on Monday moved to report the Legal Service to the European Commission and the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (Intosai) amid allegations of threats, revenge and efforts to remove the auditor general from his post.
It comes on the heels of a major explosion between the two independent institutions, after deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides said in an interview to Kathimerini that auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides should be investigated and the Supreme Court should rule whether he should be removed from his position.
Angelides said Michaelides lacks objectivity, self-control and deliberately targets certain institutions and officials, in the interview published on Sunday.
President Nikos Christodoulides entered the foray on Monday saying he has no plan to suspend the auditor-general in any capacity, nor is he going to tell the independent official what to do.
Christodoulides said what was happening between the legal and audit service is “very unpleasant”, urging them to cooperate based on the constitution.
“At present I do not wish to say any more. It is a very unpleasant development, and these are not my own emotions, they are also those of the Cypriot people.”
The report filed to Intosai and the EU Commission was based on Principle 2 of the Mexico Declaration centring on the independence of Supreme Audit Institution heads and members, including security of tenure and legal immunity.
Deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou described the issue as “purely legal and not political”.
The Audit Office described Angelides’ statements as an act of revenge because Michaelides highlighted alleged actions by Angelides to acquit a client of his former law firm from criminal prosecution.
Press spokesman of the Audit Office Marios Petrides, speaking to CyBC on Monday, said the attorney-general and his deputy were making plans to get rid of Michaelides “for revenge”.
“This is a threat that was expressed by the attorney-general himself months ago, specifically on September 7,” Petrides said, adding that the retaliation was coming in the wake of the Audit Office highlighting alleged actions by the deputy AG to acquit a client of his former law firm from criminal prosecution.
“Promoting retaliation against persons who make complaints to the Anti Corruption Authority constitutes a criminal offence,” Petrides added. He said it had already been established that the auditor-general had presented the complaint to the authority in good faith.