Cyprus ‘had no other choice’ but to bring in US experts to help with corruption-related investigations, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday, as he announced a designated budget would go towards rebranding the country’s image abroad.
“We can become a model country on combating corruption,” he told attendees at a conference on participatory and deliberative democracy.
Called ‘Corruption, the main barrier to youth political activism’ the event took place at the presidential palace.
He said corruption and the cost of electricity are the two most serious problems that the government has to address.
“Corruption is catastrophic cancer of society.”
Christodoulides told attendees that there is a provision with a ‘significant amount’ in the state budget for the first time to begin efforts to rebrand Cyprus’ image.
Expressing his certainty on the view that Cyprus can become a role model on combating corruption, he said this was the reason he invited a team of US FBI officials to Cyprus to aid with corruption-related investigations.
Christodoulides explained that he had been told by Cypriot authorities that if cases were to be investigated faster then expert staff should be increased from five to between 25 and 30.
Going ahead with that procedure would have meant the new hires would be able to start working in 2027 – a nod towards slow bureaucratic procedures to get the positions and budget approved, before the positions could even be opened.
Waiting that long “was not an option for us, since combating this phenomenon is a priority.”
The president added he was satisfied by the US response on the matter. “I’m glad they’re here, I’m glad they’re contributing to the efforts of our investigative authorities and generally that there’s progress.”
Overall, the aim is not only to address corruption and combat it while demonstrating zero tolerance, but also to preserve transparency. “That is the big challenge.”
He added it is necessary to have citizens actively involved in the decision-making process, as being distant becomes a source of “justified questioning of the institutions.”
To this end, Christodoulides said the government has taken concrete actions to address the deficit.
“We have undertaken concrete actions to address this democratic deficit, this great challenge that we have before us”.
If we do not address this challenge, he went on to say, it poses “very serious risks“.
