The auditor general will appeal to the attorney general after reports that a member of the reviewing authority involved in the decision of not excluding contractors involved in the scandal of SAPA, has reportedly received money from one of these companies in order to finance a political party in which he is a senior member.

During the discussion at the audit committee of the parliament, which addresses the issue of conditions of public projects’ tenders, the Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides said that the member of the Reviewing Authority is also a senior member of a political party.

He claimed that in 2009 this person received the amount of €20 thousand from a consortium involved in the scandal of SAPA on behalf of the party.

According to the Auditor General, the contribution was not illegal, but for the audit authority there is conflict of interest.

He pointed out that the person remains a member of the party’s central committee, adding that relevant reports show evidence of the deposit of the check by a person involved in the scandal.

"This check," he said, "was issued by a consortium involved in SAPA and he transferred it to the party."

A representative of the Legal Service noted that the issue will be examined by the Attorney General, while the Chairman of the Reviewing Authority noted that he was just informed about the issue, noting that their concern is to preserve the validity of the principle.

The Reviewing Authority has recently taken a majority (3-2) decision allowing companies which admitted to have given bribes to obtain contracts from SAPA, to bid on other projects of the State.

The exclusion of contractors involved in the scandal of SAPA is considered to have limited the number of bidders and thus, competition for public tenders.