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Cyprus' deputy attorney general indicted for corruption

Xinhua, May 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Cyprus' Deputy Attorney General Rikkos Erotokritou was indicted on charges of bribery and corruption on Tuesday, becoming the first state official to face criminal charges in the eastern Mediterranean island's 55 years of statehood.

The indictment is the latest development in the country's troubled Legal Service, which acts as the legal adviser to the state president and the government.

Attorney General Costas Clerides has already filed a separate petition with the Supreme Court requesting Erotokritou's dismissal on charges of unbecoming conduct.

The charges filed on Tuesday are based on a probe by a retired Supreme Court justice who had been appointed by Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades to investigate allegations of corruption against Erotokritou, whom Anastasiades appointed to the post two years ago.

According to the investigator's findings, Erotokritou abused his position by filing criminal charges against two Russian brothers who are in litigation with their underaged half-sister over the ownership of an offshore trust fund in Providencia said to be worth between 250 and 300 million euros (278 and 335 million U.S. dollars).

The investigator said in his report that in exchange for filing the criminal charges, a law firm representing the minor, which was also acting as the legal adviser to a Cypriot bank, allowed a court case brought by Erotokritou against that bank to be settled in Erotokritou's favor.

The legal settlement offset loans by Erotokritou against his deposits of a roughly equal amount which were seized as part of the 2013 resolution of the Cypriot banking system.

The settlement was subsequently overturned on appeal by the bank's administrator.

Clerides also brought charges against the law firm Andreas Neocleous & Co LLC and two of the firm's lawyers. The attorney general accused them of bribing a public official, corruption, conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to defraud.

All accused are expected to appear in court on May 26 to enter a plea. Endit