Hearing for Auditor General's suspension postponed

The scheduled hearing to address Attorney General George Savvidis' request for the suspension of Auditor General Odysseus Michaelides on allegations of misconduct was postponed on Thursday.

The Supreme Judicial Council had set the hearing for 9:30 a.m. to allow a representative of INTOSAI, the international organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, to testify as a witness for the Auditor General.

However, the Auditor General's legal team requested a postponement, citing a medical issue of a close relative that prevented the witness from arriving in Cyprus on time. The witness, Freddy Yves Ndjemba, Head of the Audit Independence Programme, is expected to arrive in Cyprus on Sunday to testify at the rescheduled hearing on Monday.

The Supreme Judicial Council has now set the hearing to resume on Monday, July 1, at 9:30 a.m.

In the courtroom, it was stated that the INTOSAI representative would testify first, followed by the cross-examination of the Auditor General, based on his previously submitted testimony to the Council and the Attorney General's legal team.

Both the Attorney General and the Auditor General have provided written statements to expedite the process. The Auditor General's statement includes 171 pages and 52 exhibits.

The Attorney General's lawyers expressed concern over the delay and emphasized their desire to conclude the proceedings by July 19, 2024.

At the previous hearing, the cross-examination of the Attorney General concluded. He mentioned that the biggest challenge facing the Legal Service was "the attacks from the Audit Office and its supporters, including journalists, politicians, support groups, and social media users."

Regarding INTOSAI, Mr. Savvidis had informed the Court that the organization's rules are not part of the EU's acquis communautaire and that the Constitution remains the primary pillar of competence for both the Auditor General and the Attorney General.