Odysseas Michaelides: dismissal was premeditated, will appeal to the ECHR

In his first tell-all interview since his dismissal, former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides alleged on Saturday he was ousted because he could not be silenced.

The ‘deep state’ wanted him out of the picture so corruption could continue unhindered, he said.

Michaelides stressed he would absolutely be appealing the decision to fire him to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Though a timely process, “this will be moral compensation.”

In his in-depth interview, Michaelides told Phileleftheros that it was clear the decision by the Supreme Constitutional Court was premeditated, and he blamed President Nikos Christodoulides, former President Nicos Anastasiades, attorney-general George Savvides and his deputy Savvas Angelides for trying to “decapitate” him.

“I refused to compromise.”

He expressed he felt shocked as he heard the decision read out in court, particularly over the wording.

“I knew court decisions should have no emotions. But in Cyprus, anything goes.”

Michaelides described his dismissal as an “excruciating sentence” that took him from the job he loved. Effectively however, he said he was fired because he disagreed with the attorney-general.

The wording the judges used “gave the impression that they wanted to bury me as deep as they could. The public however is not naïve. They understand what happened.”

Where the president is concerned, Michaelides said what happened was payback for his audit reports on Christodoulides’ pensions “which he received and continues to receive illegally”.

Michaelides explained the appeal to the ECHR would be on the three grounds. The first concerns the right to due process – a fair trial.

The second relates to the right to reputation, which will be linked to the wording and characterisations in the judgement.

Lastly, the appeal will focus on freedom of expression. “Even the tweets of my son, who is 26 years old and lives abroad were cited at two points in the decision as incriminating pieces of evidence.

“If this isn’t the Middle Ages, then what is?”

The former auditor general was fired on the grounds of inappropriate conduct on September 18, after the motion was filed by Savvides in April.

Nonetheless, Michaelides said the fight doesn’t stop with his dismissal. “It’s only just getting started.”

Though he has long dismissed notions that he would foray into politics, the former auditor-general said that was always on the grounds that the legal battle would blow over and he would go back to work.

“I was sure we would win.” But everything is different now.

He did not share more details but said he feels a heavier burden of duty. Asked who makes up the deep state, Michaelides said “it is all those that want to control the functionality of the state and prevent any changes that could benefit the majority.”

Reflecting on the court decision, the former auditor-general said it was clear that it sided with the attorney-general.

“The attorney-general was a political person who was involved in a government that was criticised both within Cyprus and internationally for abuses such as the golden passports. He chose not to exclude himself from investigations.”

“Did this not undermine his credibility?”

Michaelides made reference to Savvides’ close friendship with Anastasiades, questioning whether it pointed to good standing, considering the former president “is accountable for various things during his governance”.

Commenting on the deputy attorney-general, Michaelides said it was a clear case of conflict of interest but he was fired because he said the public has a right to know.

“The fact remains that the deputy attorney-general suspended a criminal investigation against a former client of his, in a case that his former law office was handling and where his wife works.

“This is a classic case of a conflict of interest.”

Savvides had argued that Michaelides’ public reference to the matter violated Angelides’ presumption of innocence.

Where the bad blood between Michaelides and Christodoulides is concerned, the former auditor-general claimed that one month after Christodoulides became president, he took issue over critical posts Michaelides’ son made on social media.

There was also a spat over a report on the presidential palace’s renovation – a project costing €1.2 million. Michaelides claimed the government deliberately misrepresented what happened, claiming the First Lady blocked the auditors from carrying out their work.

“His spokesmen then said I wanted to get into their bedroom. A bit more respect to the truth wouldn’t hurt.”