Auditor General dismissal hearing postponed to Monday
The hearing for Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides’ dismissal was postponed on Thursday, as an expert witness from Intosai (International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions) was unable to attend the court session.
The Supreme Constitutional Court convened at 9:30am, where Freddy Yves Ndjemba, listed as senior manager at Intosai, was expected to take the stand as an expert witness for Michaelides’ side.
Due to unexpected medical issues of a close relative, court heard he was unable to travel in time for the hearing, and the case was postponed to Monday.
Michaelides is also expected to take the stand on Monday and has submitted his witness statement which is 171 pages long.
He will also be submitting 52 documents as evidence, with Attorney General George Savvides’ team expected to file several objections.
Lawyers for Savvides expressed their concern over delays in the hearing, expressing their wish to have the case wrapped by July 19.
The AG previously told court that the Constitution is the governing set of rules for both himself and the Auditor General, not Intosai. He also called the organisation a union.
Savvides filed a case to the Supreme Constitutional Court in April, seeking to have Michaelides dismissed on the grounds of inappropriate conduct. During his own cross-examination, he described attacks from the Audit Office as being the biggest problem plaguing the legal service.
He has rejected outright the accusation that he ‘had it in’ for Michaelides since day one, telling the court that during his term “I had instructions from the president to have the auditor-general dismissed and I did not act on it.”
He did not specify whether he meant President Nikos Christodoulides or his predecessor Nicos Anastasiades. The former has publicly stated he did not wish to see this process unfold in court.
President of the Supreme Constitutional Court Antonis Liatsos has said the case should come to a close before the end of July.
Michaelides is expected to take the stand between July 1-3 for cross examination.