Heated exchanges between the attorney-general and the president of the supreme court marked Wednesday’s parliamentary discussion on recent revelations within the justice system, but they also both turned on the media accusing them of staging public trials and weakening confidence in the judiciary.
Supreme court president Myronas Nikolatos who, besides having to defend the integrity of the court, was also trying to fend off conflict of interest allegations concerning himself, said he was no longer friends with attorney-general Costas Clerides, a former supreme court judges himself, following a recent decision relating to the Bank of Cyprus.
“The attorney-general also honoured me with his friendship for 45 years, 25 of which he had spent as a colleague,” Nikolatos told members of the House ethics committee, reading from a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, the friendship ended on his part as soon the Eliades-Bank of Cyprus decision was issued.”
Clerides, who was sitting next to Nikolatos during the meeting, said it was offensive and sad for the president of the supreme court to say such a thing.
He admitted that certain supreme court decisions on the matter had “brought about a rift”.
But he said the distance was down to disappointment and that he had never suggested the case was lost because of relations between the judges and lawyers.
The case that sparked the rift and precipitated the crisis concerned an appeal filed by former BoC CEO Andreas Eliades against his imprisonment for market manipulation.
In a 2 to 1 decision, the three-bench court found that Bank of Cyprus and Eliades, although they had made false representations about the financial status of the bank, did not do so with intent to manipulate the market but rather to ‘reassure’ shareholders.
That decision was criticised by Clerides and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Later on, the attorney-general’s brother, Nicos Clerides, made a series of detailed claims that the courts are controlled by the Polyviou and Chrysafinis law firm, which represents BoC.
He said all supreme court judges had a child at the law office that promoted the bank’s interests. He also revealed that Nikolatos’ sister and daughter had settled out of court two claims they had filed against BoC in relation with convertible bonds they had acquired.
Nikolatos denied any wrongdoing, something which he repeated on Wednesday, warning that the affair has dealt a blow to public confidence in the judiciary.
“The crisis in the judiciary, as a result of the unsubstantiated and unfair claims made recently, as well as the public trials in the mass media, have unfortunately weakened the judiciary with tragic consequences,” he said.
“Calling for interference in the operation of justice and suggestions that we need foreigners to solve our problems constitute a danger for the independence of justice, with unforeseen consequences for Republic and the rule of law,” he added.
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