HEALTH MINISTER IN HOT SEAT AGAIN

Dina Akkelidou charged with meddling in the course of justice in latest faux
pas

OPPOSITION parties were baying for blood yesterday as Health Minister Dina
Akkelidou found herself in the hot seat again, this time charged with
meddling with the course of justice by writing directly to a judge seeking a
lenient ruling in an ongoing case. The government played down the obvious
question of political responsibility and gave Akkelidou the thumbs up to
stay in office.

Left-wing AKEL party member Akkelidou drew widespread criticism and
disbelief when a Larnaca District Court judge made public a letter sent by
the minister containing information on a suspect charged with the import,
use and dealing of drugs.

Akkelidou wrote to the judge in her capacity as Health Minister and
President of the Anti-narcotics Council in a letter marked confidential,
asking the judge to take into account certain mitigating factors regarding
the suspect's history. The judge publicly rejected the letter in court,
highlighting she could not accept any effort to influence an ongoing case.
The minister's letter was accompanied by a doctor's letter, in which he
argued that it would be catastrophic if the suspect were jailed.

Akkelidou yesterday recognised the error of her ways but rejected calls for
her resignation, pleading that she had no intention whatsoever to interfere
in court proceedings but had acted in good faith and with sensitivity to the
fight against drugs.

The minister said she felt it her obligation to let the court know the
history of the specific suspect, who had successfully completed three years
of rehab and had just begun a programme of reintegration into society.

However, after the court publicly rejected her "unknowing" attempt to meddle
in the process of justice, Akkelidou accepted that ignorance was to blame.

"The procedure I followed was judged incorrect and now that I know that, now
that I have been informed, I realise that I should have sent the same letter
with the same information to one of the lawyers party to the action who
would present it before the judge and not directly," she said.

While no one questioned the merits of the letter's content, all political
forces on the island agreed that the move was wholly wrong and could be
interpreted as meddling with justice.

Government and coalition members were left with little choice but to
acknowledge that Akkelidou had committed a major faux pas but rejected calls
for her resignation, arguing that her intentions were good.

According to Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides, there was no issue
of political responsibility.

Chrysostomides, a lawyer, argued that since there was no intention to
intervene in the exercise of judicial power, there was no issue of political
responsibility.

The spokesman acknowledged that the minister did not follow proper
procedure, leading the court rightly to reject the letter, but argued that
it was not an attempt to influence the court. Asked why Akkelidou had taken
such action, he offered the explanation that the suspect was the first drug
addict successfully to complete the rehabilitation programme.

However, opposition DISY deputies Ionas Nicolaou and Christos Pourgourides
were unbending in their call for the minister's resignation, and described
her reasoning as unacceptable.

"I really wonder with what lightness some try to convince us that it was a
wrong procedure to follow but taken through ignorance. It is unacceptable
for a Cabinet minister to be ignorant of this. For what purpose did she give
that information if not to influence the court's judgement?" asked Nicolaou.

"It is totally unthinkable for some to say that her explanations are
acceptable. Without a doubt, the minister should resign and if she doesn't,
the president has no choice but to dismiss her," said Pourgourides.

DISY deputy leader Averoff Neophytou stressed that responsibility went
beyond Akkelidou to the person who appointed her, President Tassos
Papadopoulos.

United Democrats deputy leader Michalis Papapetrou pointed out that if an
average citizen had written to the judge as the minister did, the
Attorney-general would have no choice but to prosecute him. Since Akkelidou
is protected by political immunity she must take on her political
responsibility.

Even the suspect's lawyer Georgios Georgiou said it was "unacceptable
behaviour" and an illegal action to interfere in the course of justice,
particularly since the case was ongoing and a verdict had not been recorded
yet.

Coalition parties held a different view. AKEL deputy, Akis Agapiou, said the
whole episode should act as a lesson for Akkelidou, adding that her staff
were also to blame for failing to give her proper advice.

Ruling party DIKO deputy Andreas Angelides said the procedure was wrong but
at least it was made openly and not in secret.

KS EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou repeated the government line, acknowledging
the legal blunder but ruling out any question of resignation since there was
no bad intention.

This is not the first time Akkelidou has found herself in hot water. Calls
for her resignation were first heard in July 2003 after classified documents
were found abandoned in rubbish bags underneath the stairs at the Health
Ministry. She later came under repeated criticism after failing to show up
for a number of House Committee meetings scheduled to discuss heart patients
dying in Limassol hospital and private clinics.

The minister has also taken the brunt of criticism over the decision to
close down the Oncology Ward in Nicosia hospital as well as lengthy delays
in the opening of the new General Hospital in the capital.