MPs agree high-level civil servants should file capital statements

The House institutions committee agreed on Wednesday that high-level civil servants and people applying for tenders should file a capital statement (pothen esches).

In his statements after the end of the session, the head of the committee opposition Disy MP Demetris Demetriou said that everyone in the committee agreed that there needs to be transparency, and all agreed that high-level civil servants and people undertaking state tenders need to file a ‘pothen esches’.

“The trajectory that will be followed will concern the high-ranking and those who take part in tenders, in a ‘pothen esches’ system corresponding to the electronic declaration that will also be made by the parliament based on Law 49 on politically exposed persons and that of Law 50 on publicly exposed persons,” he said.

As far as the MPs’ capital statements are concerned, Demetriou said that the debate will continue Wednesday, July 12, in order to pass the legislation together with the changes that must be made to the law as soon as possible.

Asked how the ‘pothen esches’ will be run for civil servants, Demetriou said that there is already a law in place, which states that there is an obligation every three years to file a claim on their property details.

He added that the measure had been all encompassing one, but that they would now seek for people that are high-paid civil servants (level A13 and above) to file the capital statement.

People also involved in state tenders will have to file the statement.

“It should be checked if a civil servant has assets, which arise in the course of his work and are not justified by his salary,” he clarified, adding that honest civil servants, who are the majority, should request this check themselves to protect themselves.

Demetriou added that the statements will be filed electronically, and that the plan is for there to potentially be a three-member council to examine the ‘pothen esches’.

Asked whether the decision to check the assets of prosecutors and judges had been finalised, Demetriou said this should be decided next month.