18 September 2024

Auditor General, Odysseas Michaelides, is expected to step down from his position following a decision by the Supreme Constitutional Court, acting as a Council, to remove him from office.

The Court’s 209-page ruling, delivered on Tuesday, directs the President of the Republic to take “appropriate actions” in line with Article 153 of the Constitution.

President Nicos Christodoulides, currently in Athens, is due to return on Friday. Upon his return, he is expected to formalise Michaelides’s dismissal through an official document, to be published in the Republic’s Official Gazette.

Legal experts consulted by local media outlet philenews suggest that Michaelides may choose to leave his post voluntarily before the formal dismissal is published.

The ruling leaves a void in the country’s Audit Office, responsible for overseeing public finances.

Sources close to the matter indicate that Michaelides’s remaining legal recourse may be an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). However, they note that such an appeal could only potentially result in compensation if a human rights violation is found, rather than overturning the Supreme Court’s decision.

Michaelides and his legal team are said to be carefully considering the grounds for any potential ECHR appeal to ensure it has a legal basis and prospects for success.

The original article: https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/local/what-is-to-follow-after-the-auditor-generals-dismissal/ belongs to in-cyprus.com .