Government offers cash for whistleblower’s torched cars

The transport minister in the Republic of Cyprus has been credited with a Cabinet decision to compensate a state employee, whose family vehicles were torched after he blew the whistle on a car sales scam.

According to daily Politis, a state employee has received €16,000 as compensation for two family vehicles that had been torched outside his home.

The arson took place after a state employee in Motor Vehicles told his superior that titles of almost brand new imported vehicles were being issued by the state’s transport department after damage history was expunged from the record.

Politis cited sources saying Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos was behind a decision approved by the President’s Cabinet that awarded cash to the employee, who became whistleblower in the unprecedented case filed in court against a suspected illegal network.

A female state employee, whose job with Motor Vehicles has been suspended, is facing corruption charges along with other suspects.

Back in February compensation to the employee was promised by Karousos, who reportedly instructed road transport department officials in Nicosia to keep agents out of their building.

Karousos made the move a month after Cypriot lawmakers passed a consolidated bill on whistleblowing protections after years of delays as well as pressure from the European Union.

The new law was aimed at shielding employees from retaliation after speaking up against corruption.

Cyprus has been among EU member states that made little or no progress on the issue.

An EU directive had called on member states to put in place “minimum standards” in an effort for the entire bloc to establish uniform protections for whistleblowers or “reporting persons” who report or publicly disclose information on breaches acquired in the context of their own work-related activities.