Tales from the Coffeeshop: Auditor-general was on the verge of sainthood
THE DISCIPLES of Odysseas, the first ever auditor-general in the world with a big cult following, were devastated by the news that the attorney-general filed a case at the supreme court for their hero’s sacking on the grounds of inappropriate behaviour.
For his acolytes, Odysseas was on the verge of sainthood, because of his well-marketed fight against corruption and his occasional exposure of shady dealings in the state machinery. For this commendable work, they were prepared to ignore all his excesses, like his bullying, double standards and abuses of power.
I can assure his faithful followers that they should not worry about the court case. If the AG fails to prove the case against him, the holier than thou Odysseas will return to his beloved post, with his arrogance and self-righteousness boosted, to resume his fight against corruption and against anyone who questions his greatness.
If the court rules that he was guilty of inappropriate behaviour and removes him from his post he will attain martyrdom and become the Nelson Mandela of Kyproulla, who was crushed by the corrupt establishment, terrified by what he could have done to them. As a martyr of the fight against corruption he would have a chance of winning the next presidential elections.
NOT THAT Odysseas is contemplating defeat. On the contrary, in a defiant announcement he issued immediately after the case against him was submitted to the supreme court, he declared that, “thankfully, the constitution, justice and the truth are very powerful allies, which is why I am neither afraid nor worried.”
He also quoted poet Andreas Kalvos’ line, that “freedom needs virtue and boldness,” of which he has huge reserves, even if he says so himself. He also showed off his legal knowledge, as he has made a habit of doing, saying “it is my sincere conviction that the evidence is overwhelmingly in my favour and that the sense of society will be proved correct.”
He has obviously spoken to society, which told him it considers him innocent. If the judges of the supreme court have a different opinion and his certainty that the “truth will shine” proves mistaken, he will appeal against the decision to society.
ONLY in Kyproulla could a charmless, unsmiling, humourless, self-important accountant, become a public hero, with a big fan-base. In other countries, such public adulation is reserved for actors, pop-singers, footballers, TV personalities, models, usually with good looks, which Odysseas has not been blessed with.
What type of society hero-worships a bean-counter, civil servant with an appalling dress sense? Perhaps, after all, we are not a superficial society that is only interested in appearances, glamour and how much money a person has, like other societies. We show our respect, as a society, only to people of substance and high moral values, as long as they drive a big and expensive car.
ONE OF THE most zealous disciples of Odysseas, Phil columnist Giorgos Kallinikou, who never pulls his punches, was livid over Prezniktwo’s failure to take a stand about the legal procedure against Odysseas.
On Wednesday he resorted to biblical symbolism likening the Prez to Pontius Pilate for his failure to publicly back Odysseas, who was being victimized. He was crestfallen that a people with power in their hands, were “terrified of taking responsibility,” adding that “they are terrified of taking the initiative to prevent a crime or an injustice; they opt for the characteristic gesture of Pontius Pilate, of washing their hands.”
I am inclined to disagree with Kallinikou. From my religious knowledge, based on the hundreds of times of listening to Jesus Christ Superstar as a teenager, I would speculate that the Prez’s stance in this unpleasant affair is more like that of Caiaphas than Pilate’s. Caiaphas wanted Jesus eliminated.
I suspect the Prez wants the latter-day saviour removed from his post (not eliminated) and may have given the nod to the AG, because Odysseas has publicly embarrassed poor old Nik on several occasions, aafter his election, He is too publicity-smart, however, to say so and will carry on pretending he is Pontius Pilate.
IN SATURDAY’S column, Kallinikou asked whether the Prez was in cahoots with AG George Savvides, before laying into him for his failure to take a stand, in his inimitable dramatic style.
“It is tragic to see, the president faced with the lamentable development of the clash between the attorney-general and the auditor-general, being afraid of his shadow. To watch, as an ordinary spectator, the anticipated massacre between the duelists. Understandably, every prudent citizen wonders what it can expect from such a president.”
And to think the columnist had enthusiastically backed the election of the candidate afraid of his shadow.
PREZNIKONE also made a public comeback this week, announcing that his lawyers would file a libel suit against author Makarios Drousiotis, seeking €2 million in damages over allegations of corruption included in his books.
The former Nik had been threatening to file a libel suit for quite some time. Why he chose last week seems strange considering that the authority against corruption, which he set up, is currently investigating the allegations contained in Drousiotis’ books. He had been pushing for the investigation, expressing the certainty that it would find nothing against him.
If this happens what is the need for libel action? It is not as if he needs the €2 million. Perhaps he is afraid that the Aussie lawyer in charge of the investigation will not exonerate him, as Odysseas had done in three investigations he had conducted, regarding Nik’s activities as president. All three were filed in the ‘whitewash’ category.
TOP BRASS cops should consider changing their plans for “preventing and eliminating serious and organised crime,” which is due to expire in a month.
The plan, which involved the deployment of some 200 officers in car patrols and on motorbikes from late at night until the early hours, did not appear to have the desired results. On Tuesday in broad daylight a man was shot three times while riding his motorbike in Anthoupolis.
The only thing achieved by the plan was to move the activities of organised crime to daytime when there are no car and motorbike patrols by the cops.
APART from the heroic party announcements marking the 20th anniversary of the Annan Plan referendum last Tuesday, there was only one political gathering. It was organised by Adouloti Kerynia last weekend in Nicosia and the turnout was rather disappointing, according to one person who attended.
Is it because people have realized that the ‘no’ vote was mistake? I doubt it. A more likely explanation is that nobody cares about the Cyprob, certainly not enough to waste their Saturday night listening to heroism salesmen making patriotic speeches that we have been hearing for 50 years – speeches that are so meaningless they cannot even bore the listener.
THE OPINION poll about the elections for the European Parliament conducted for Antenna TV was guaranteed to shake people’s faith in democracy. By far the most popular of the six Disy candidates was the serving MEP Loucas Fourlas, who would be backed by 62 per cent of voters.
In second place was former Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas on 27 per cent and in third, former Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides on 26 per cent. That Fourlas, who has the political brain of 15-year-old and has done nothing worth reporting in his time as MEP, is so popular says everything that needs to be said about our democracy.
We keep being reminded that doing and saying nothing has become the surest way of securing a glowing political career. The world belongs to the politicians with nothing to say.