The Independent Authority against Corruption said on Friday that it had examined allegations of a conflict of interest involving Gabrielle McIntyre, who headed the investigation into the book “Mafia State”, and found that no such issue arose.
It also rejected claims that McIntyre’s appointment had been decided in advance for ulterior motives, stressing that all decisions by the Authority are taken collectively by its five members.
In a statement, the Authority said it was seeking to clarify issues raised in public statements and comments which called into question the validity and impartiality of the procedure followed before the investigation began and, by extension, the validity of the inspection officers’ final report, as approved by the Authority.
It said the statement was issued in the interests of transparency, although the disclosure of the Authority’s internal proceedings is generally prohibited without the approval of the Transparency Commissioner. The relevant approval had been granted in this case, it added.
Responding to suggestions that some decisions were taken solely by the Transparency Commissioner, the Authority said this “does not correspond to reality in any way”.
“All decisions of the Authority are taken collectively by its five members and relevant minutes are kept for this purpose,” it said.
Referring to the procedure followed in selecting McIntyre to head the investigation, the Authority said finding suitable investigators had been a demanding task. It noted that the difficulties involved had also been demonstrated by the Cabinet’s recent efforts to find criminal investigators to examine the findings of the “Mafia State” final report.
The Authority said it contacted international and European organisations, as well as individuals in Greece, and received several names of people considered suitable. Interviews were conducted by videoconference or telephone, while information was also exchanged by email.
Many of those approached did not have the time required to conduct an investigation of such scope, it added.
According to the Authority, around 25 candidates were considered before it was decided that McIntyre was the most suitable person to lead the investigation.
“Therefore, claims that her appointment had been predetermined for ulterior motives are unfounded,” the statement said.
The Authority also noted that all inspection officers, following their appointment and an interview, sign a declaration entitled “Absence of Interest of Inspection Officers”.
It said this obligation did not apply only on the date the document was signed but remained in force throughout the investigation. McIntyre had signed the declaration, it added.
The Authority said it subsequently examined the allegations of a conflict of interest involving McIntyre and found that no such issue existed.
It added that, according to information it had received, a journalist from Cyprus had contacted the President of the International Criminal Court, where McIntyre has been employed since May 1, 2025, raising similar allegations. These were rejected by the Court’s President, the statement said.
The Authority concluded by noting that its work was completed when it submitted the final report to the Attorney-General of the Republic, as required by law, and that other institutions of the Republic were now responsible for any further action.
