MPs raise questions on oversight procedure over Lakkotrypis’ job applications

Members of the House institutions committee on Wednesday raised questions regarding the oversight procedure for people who leave public office and take private sector jobs within two years in light of former energy minister Giorgios Lakkotrypis’ filing of 12 applications for special permission to do so.

A representative of the three-member commission which oversees applications filed by former public officials who wish to take jobs in the private sector told the committee that Lakkotrypis had filed 12 such applications, that he had withdrawn two, and that the commission had approved the other 10.

In response, MP Irene Charalambides raised questions regarding the process of evaluating the applications, saying that “in some cases, the process appears to be limited to a formal recording of the information declared by the applicants without any substantive investigation”.

She also raised questions regarding the information provided to the commission by the energy ministry in Lakkotrypis’ case following his departure from the post, before saying the matter should be “investigated by a criminal investigator”.

Alexandra Attalides, who belongs to Volt, decried a lack of transparency regarding Lakkotrypis’ case, and said that parliament “should address the situation in a serious manner”.

She added that at present, parliament does not have all the requisite information at its disposal to evaluate the matter, and said that as such, MPs should consider taking the matter to the constitutional court to ensure the information is released.

Lakkotrypis’ applications were filed between July 2020, when he left his role at the energy ministry, and July 2022, when the mandatory two-year period during which former public officials must apply to the commission to take up private sector work expired.

The Cyprus Mail had been informed last month that those requests related either to participation on company boards or to the provision of consultancy services.

The issue had come to light following the publication of a video on social media last month, which appeared to show Lakkotrypis offering access to the government in exchange for money.

In the footage, Lakkotrypis appears as an energy consultant and later acknowledged receiving €15,000 for a three-month consultancy fee with the non-existent company Stratix Wealth, which claimed interest in investing €150 million in Cyprus’ energy sector.

The law governing post-service employment aims to safeguard the public interest and prevent officials from using public office to secure future private benefit.

Breaches can carry penalties of up to €30,000 in fines and prison sentences of up to three years.