former state officials

Paying former presidents to have secretary , ‘problematic’

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Paying former presidents to have secretary , ‘problematic’

The Audit Office has raised concerns about the payment of a ‘personal secretary’ allowance to former presidents and House presidents. The finance ministry stated that the practice would continue as is, despite the concerns. The allowance was introduced in 1988 during the administration of Spyros Kyprianou. Former state officials receive the allowance without actually employing the person declared as their secretary, and in some cases, the declared secretary has self-employed status. The secretarial allowance for former presidents is not taxed, unlike MPs. The Audit Office called on the finance ministry to comply with the law and stop payments where conditions are not met. They also mentioned the possibility of reporting the matter to the anti-corruption authority if necessary.

Secretarial allowances row could be referred to anti-corruption authority

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Secretarial allowances row could be referred to anti-corruption authority

Auditor-General Odysseas Michaelides criticized the finance minister’s stance on secretarial allowances as “unacceptable” and threatened to refer the case to the anti-corruption authority if overpayments continue. The controversy started when it was discovered that former presidents and House speakers were receiving state funds for secretaries after retirement, legally, but were paying the secretaries less than the allocated amount and keeping the difference. An audit named former presidents George Vassiliou and Nicos Anastasiades, and former House speakers Yiannakis Omirou, Marios Garoyian, and Demetris Syllouris as allegedly engaging in this practice. Finance Minister Makis Keravnos stated that these former officials did not have to return the money. Michaelides announced a new probe into the matter scheduled for May 2.

Former officials can keep pocketing extra allowances, ministry says

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Former officials can keep pocketing extra allowances, ministry says

Former state officials in Cyprus, named by Auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides, including former presidents George Vassiliou and Nicos Anastasiades, and former House speakers Yiannakis Omirou, Marios Garoyian, and Demetris Syllouris, were investigated for allegedly misusing secretarial allowances. The finance ministry stated that these officials do not have to return the allowances as they are legally entitled to them, either to employ a civil servant or hire someone personally for the role. The allowance is set at €39,089 per year. The audit revealed discrepancies in how the funds were used, with some officials not employing a secretary as claimed or pocketing the difference. Specific findings include Vassiliou receiving a total of €709,352 from 2004 to December 2023, with allegations of employing a secretary through a company owned by his family. Anastasiades received €20,396 in 2023, with recommendations to return €11,314 due to overpayment. Omirou, Garoyian, and Syllouris were also found to have discrepancies in their allowance usage, with recommendations for refunds to the state.