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Attorney General Giorgos Savvides said Wednesday that national authorities in EU member states cannot launch criminal investigations into the Vasilikos liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal while the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is conducting its own inquiry.
“National authorities of EU member states participating in the EPPO cannot initiate ex officio criminal investigations or intervene when the EPPO has already opened an investigation,” Savvides said.
Savvides made the comments amid speculation and misinformation circulating in parliament and the media regarding the LNG import terminal project.
He said that on March 28, 2024, the EPPO informed the Attorney General that it had initiated a criminal investigation into potential offenses involving the contracting authority, contractor, or other parties related to the awarding and execution of the public contract for the study, construction, and maintenance of the Vasilikos LNG terminal.
Under EU rules governing the EPPO, if the office decides to exercise its powers, national authorities are barred from investigating the same alleged criminal conduct. Savvides noted that the EPPO would notify national authorities if any part of a case falls outside its jurisdiction.
At a parliamentary Energy Committee meeting Tuesday, the Attorney General was represented by a Republic Prosecutor, the head of the Legal Service’s Public Contracts Sector, who Savvides said was the most qualified official to speak on the matter.
