Audit committee disputes oversight powers over the audit office

During a Thursday meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on the Monitoring of Development Projects and Public Expenditure Control, former auditor-general and current MP Odysseas Michaelides clashed with the current auditor-general, Andreas Papaconstantinou. Michaelides demanded that the Audit Office provide internal management minutes regarding the approval, initiation, and completion of audits. Papaconstantinou refused, arguing that such internal departmental documents fall outside the scope of parliamentary oversight. While Michaelides asserted that the audit committee holds statutory controller status over the Audit Office, Papaconstantinou maintained that the committee has no such oversight power and suggested he may seek a formal legal opinion on the matter. The meeting also included briefings on upcoming Audit Office reports concerning the Guaranteed Minimum Income, bus usage, hotel licensing, and MP campaign expenses. Committee chairman Zacharias Koulias stated that future Audit Office reports will be sent directly to the committee for review. Michaelides was removed from his post as auditor-general in September 2024 for conduct unbecoming, subsequently entering parliament as an MP.