Cyprus anti-corruption authority halts investigation into 'black van' surveillance case

The Independent Authority Against Corruption in Cyprus has officially terminated its probe into the 2019 'black van' surveillance scandal. The decision follows guidance from Attorney General Giorgos Savvides, who argued that the matters the Authority intended to investigate had already been addressed by competent law enforcement agencies during previous years. The Authority, which had planned to expand its investigation to include potential conflicts of interest involving Deputy Attorney General Savvas Angelides, stated that it felt compelled to close the case after the Legal Service ruled that the underlying issues had already been exhausted.

The termination has sparked significant controversy, with the former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides and other critics accusing the Legal Service of obstructing oversight. While the Attorney General maintains that he acted in accordance with Article 10 of Law 19(I)/2022 to prevent redundant, parallel investigations, the Authority clarified that it had explicitly raised concerns about the conduct of the Deputy Attorney General during a meeting on July 29, 2026. Critics, including legal experts and anti-corruption activists, argue that several new aspects of the case—partially highlighted in a recent book by journalist Fanis Makridis—remained unexamined, and are calling for the President of the Republic to intervene and seek the removal of the Legal Service leadership.