The reports made at yesterday's meeting about the level of corruption in Cyprus and that it "reigns", are not disputed by anyone, said the Minister of Justice and Public Order Ionas Nikolaou, in today's statements about the conclusions of the meeting on the work being done against Corruption.
"On the occasion of yesterday's conference on corruption in our country, the dimensions it is taking and the new perspectives for tackling it, I would like to refer to the following conclusions: No one can ignore the fact that we have a high degree of corruption in Cyprus - something that we all referred to and especially the Attorney General and the Auditor General, who at the same time confirmed that for the first time measures are being taken and actions are being promoted to deal with the phenomenon ", he added.
Mr. Nikolaou also mentioned that yesterday, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy was presented, as well as all the measures taken by this Government, which show the determination shown from the first moment "and which showed that we practiced zero tolerance ".
"The reports made about the level of corruption in our country and that it 'reigns', are not disputed by anyone. The main reasons for the flourishing of corruption in our country, as all the speakers pointed out, are the lack of a strong political will to deal with the phenomenon, concealment, interventions and impunity. "The example that was mentioned that the degree of corruption was such that the financing was done by check is also indicative", he noted.
As he said, it was accepted by all that since 2013 cases of anti-corruption crimes have been investigated and prosecuted, that in recent years the cases have more than doubled and that this is due to the determination shown by the Government and especially by the institutions.
"It is important that there was no cover-up and no attempt to intervene, as confirmed by the Attorney General and the Auditor General. The meeting confirmed that we are in the right direction with the modernization of legislation and the creation of the necessary legal framework to prevent and suppress corruption. In particular, the Government in recent years has submitted and promoted 25 bills, of which 8 are institutional. "A separate discussion took place on the establishment and responsibilities of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority, where everyone underlined the important work that can be done in both the coordination effort and the gathering of information," he added.
Nevertheless, Mr. Nikolaou continued, the road is long, "and we all agree that there is a lot to be done to strengthen the fight against a timeless problem, which will not be solved overnight."
"A common demand of all is to promote legislative measures that will allow the effective investigation of corruption cases, such as, among other things, the lifting of the secrecy of telephone communication, the protection of whistleblowers, the regulation of lobbying. In addition, the creation of a team of specialized and specially trained staff in the Police and the General Prosecutor's Office is considered important. "Furthermore, great emphasis should be placed on prevention, with the implementation of the Code of Conduct and the strengthening of control procedures in both the Public Service and the private sector, such as the legislation on access to public documents," he said.
Mr. Nikolaou said that the priority remains to raise public awareness and strengthen the rules of ethics.
"Our goal is for the public to report corruption, in order to prevent and reduce the opportunities for corruption. In fact, it is considered very important to invest in the youth, to build in ethics, and why not that education does not start in schools. In the whole project, however, the involvement of everyone is required: the private sector, both individuals and legal entities. "The phenomenon concerns not only the executive power and the prosecuting or controlling authorities of the place, but also the House of Representatives and the Judiciary", he added.
Concluding, Mr. Nikolaou said that the Government has shown the necessary political will, has taken measures, is taking measures, but will continue with the same determination, with even more intense efforts, "in order to change established perceptions that gave food and space to corruption ».
Source: KYPE
Source: RIK News