The Audit Office concluded that repeated favourable decisions towards the contractor ultimately jeopardised the project’s completion, an assessment borne out by the consortium’s departure and the unfinished state of the terminal.
Attorney-General George L. Savvides
Attorney General clarifies EPPO’s role in LNG terminal investigation
The Attorney General of the Republic clarified that no national authority in an EU member state may launch its own criminal investigation once the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has assumed competence in a case, according to CNA.
His statement came amid political debate over the LNG import terminal project in Cyprus. As CNA reported, the EPPO informed the Attorney General in March 2024 that it had opened a criminal investigation under Article 26 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 into possible offences involving the contracting authority, the contractor, or other parties linked to the project’s tendering and execution.
CNA further noted that under Article 25 of the same regulation, when the EPPO exercises jurisdiction, national authorities are barred from parallel investigations into the same conduct. If aspects of a case fall outside its remit, the EPPO is obliged to notify the competent national authorities.
The Attorney General also addressed criticism of the Legal Service’s presence at a recent House Energy Committee meeting, explaining that he was represented by a senior State Prosecutor, head of the Public Procurement Division, who he deemed the most appropriate official to attend on his behalf.