Cabinet appoints Kallis President of CPC

The Council of Ministers has appointed former Supreme Court Judge Panayiotis Kallis to the post of President of the Commission for the Protection of Competition, after the resignation of George Christophides.
Panayiotis Kallis was born on 9 April 1937.
He studied Barrister at Law and served as District Judge from 1982 to 1988, Senior District Judge from 1988 to 1989 and District Court President from 1989 to 1995.
Kallis also served as Administrative President of the Limassol and Nicosia District Courts from 1993 to 1995 and Judge of the Supreme Court from 1996 to 2005.

Last Wednesday, George Christophides submitted his resignation to the Council of Ministers. Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas told reporters after the meeting that the Council of Ministers accepted Christophides’ resignation.
Asked if Christophides had explained the reasons for resigning, Palmas said he continues to maintain that there was no issue of offence regarding his service at CPC.
CPC staff had complained Christophides was using the surveillance cameras installed at the premises of CPC not only for the security of the office but also for monitoring his staff, and accused him of following oppressive surveillance and monitoring their emails on their personal workstations.
Christophides had rejected all allegations against him, saying that the surveillance cameras installed in the offices did not have audio capability, as alleged by the employees, and that the employees were aware of the system.
The Police had investigated the case and the Attorney General is expected to decide if there is a case for criminal prosecution against Christophides.
Palmas noted that Christophides did not agree with the decision of the Council of Ministers to send him a questionnaire, and that this was reason enough to resign, since he considered that the institution had been assailed.
Asked if there would be no case against Christophides since he has resigned, Palmas said this was an issue to be taken up by the authorities, and in this case the Attorney General.