The President said that the government has set as its priority to create an overall framework for the prevention, protection and combating the phenomenon, adding that taking into account the reports of the European Commission, the recommendations of international organizations, as well as the best practices at the international level, it introduced the National Horizontal Action Plan against Corruption.
Noting that there have been mistakes, gaps and weaknesses which were abused by some individuals, he called upon the members of the Authority to work with determination, showing zero tolerance towards any actions wherever and whomever they come from.
Concluding, the President assured them that the state will help to staff the Authority and be effective and efficient in the work it undertakes.
Commissioner for Transparency Charis Poyiatzis said that they consider it a great honor that they were entrusted with the implementation of the new legislation.
“We fully understand” he said, that within a short period of time, it is very difficult to overturn some bad attitudes that found fertile ground and were cultivated since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, in 1960, perhaps even earlier.
We also realize, he added, that we are living in a period during which almost all institutions are questioned by a large part of the civil society. He stressed that what the Authority can achieve in a relatively short period of time is to become the “vigilant eye”, which will monitor behaviors and actions that may fall within the scope of their competences and will intervene and warn about the possibility of corruption, while in case of non-compliance, they will conduct an investigation.
Members of the Authority are Michael Constantinides, Eleni Patera, Tatiana Zachariadou and Nikos Zambakidis.
Source: Cyprus News Agency