2 April 2015

Senior government officials, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, failed to attend the scheduled meeting on 31 March of the Cyprus House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee. This meeting was intended to allow Members of Parliament to investigate the causes and consequences of the actions taken by the Central Bank against FBME Bank’s Cyprus branch and the impact of these actions on the public interest in Cyprus. The meeting has been rescheduled for 21 April and once more will be held in camera.

Speaking after the meeting, the President of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee, Demetrios Syllouris MP, a member of the Evroko Party, said he will raise the refusal of those officials expected to attend as a constitutional matter to the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament and the heads of the political parties.

“Whether from a fear of facing up to their responsibilities or from a wish to deliberately conceal their mistakes and omissions they are hiding behind procedural devices,” Mr Syllouris was quoted by the media as saying. “No one can remove the paramount essence of Parliamentary control.”

The actual name of this Committee is the Institutions, Merit and Commission for Administration (Ombudsman) Committee and its primary responsibility is the oversight of the conduct of public bodies and institutions in Cyprus.