Pubdate: Fri, 17 Sep 2004
Source: Cyprus Mail, The (Cyprus)
Copyright: Cyprus Mail 2004
Contact:  http://www.cyprus-mail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/100
Author:  Stefanos Evripidou

AG ORDERS CRIMINAL PROBE INTO MINISTER

Health Minister Dina Akkelidou was unbending under mounting pressure 
yesterday, insisting she had no intention of quitting after 
Attorney-general Solon Nikitas ordered a criminal investigation into 
allegations of her meddling in the course of justice.

Nikitas yesterday asked the Chief of Police to launch a criminal 
investigation to determine whether the minister committed a criminal 
offence by writing directly to a judge with reference to a pending case.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the President's wife yesterday, 
Akkelidou said she would co-operate fully with the investigation, but stood 
her ground on the question of resigning. She said there was no question of 
her resignation either by her or on order of the President.

"I appreciate that nobody is above the law. I will testify to the 
investigator and I hope after that the substance of the matter and my 
motives will come out and the Attorney-general will be satisfied," she said.

Asked if she should have stepped down as a matter of principle, given the 
investigation, she replied that the issue of principle was not relevant in 
this case.

Reporters probed the minister on whether she or President Tassos 
Papadopoulos had raised the issue of her resigning at all. She replied: "My 
discussion with the President was of a completely different nature. All I 
can say is that the President did not raise the issue or even consider my 
resignation."

Asked whether she would resign if the investigator concluded that a 
criminal offence had been committed, Akkelidou said the reporter was 
jumping the gun since the procedure was not complete and, anyway, there was 
no motive or intent behind her actions when she sent the letter.

Questioned again on her thoughts on resignation, she replied, "There is a 
lot of talk about handing in one's resignation. The ministers' resignations 
are at the disposal of the President at any moment. Sometimes resignation 
is the easy way out."

Left-wing AKEL party member Akkelidou drew widespread criticism and 
disbelief on Monday when a Larnaca District Court judge announced that the 
minister had sent her a letter containing information on a suspect charged 
with the import, possession and trafficking of drugs.

The letter gave a brief outline of the suspect's personal history and 
included notes from a psychiatrist who wrote that a jail sentence would be 
catastrophic for the suspect.

The letter provoked an outcry from opposition parties who called for her 
resignation after such blatant meddling in the course of justice. The 
minister pleaded ignorance to the legal blunder and refused to resign, 
maintaining the letter was written in good faith as an informative text to 
assist the court.

Reading the judge's announcement on September 13 and after having spoken 
with the public prosecutor handling the case, Nikitas saw fit to ask for an 
investigation to determine the criminality of her actions.

Meanwhile, yesterday's proposal by DISY deputy Ionas Nicolaou to discuss 
the issue before the House Legal Committee caused a bit of a ruckus. 
Deputies from the government coalition parties argued that the committee 
had no competence to discuss the matter at hand. After a heated debate, the 
deputies agreed to refer the matter to the House Standards and Values 
Committee, which will meet next Monday.

European Democrats deputy Christodoulos Taramoundas described Nicolaou's 
approach to the subject as unorthodox and beyond the rules of Parliament.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager