The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group said Monday that Cyprus needs to hold those at the highest echelons of executive power and law enforcement more accountable to counter an overwhelming public perception of widespread corruption.
The group lauds Cyprus for passing new laws last year establishing the Anti-Corruption Authority, which protects whistleblowers and regulates lobbying while devoting more resources to internal auditing units at public institutions. Cypriots are more distrustful of government than many other Europeans. A European opinion survey last year found that 94% of Cypriots believe corruption is widespread in the country – nearly 30% higher than the European Union average.
Trust in the police is also lower in Cyprus than in most other EU member countries. GRECO said there’s no system to assess the integrity force members. It added that the vetting of officers, from their recruitment to throughout their careers, needs to be bolstered.