Cyprus unveils anti-corruption steps to quell public angst

The president of Cyprus on Friday unveiled anti-corruption measures to counter a groundswell of public disenchantment following a scandal involving the country's defunct citizenship-for-investment program.

President Nicos Anastasiades called the string of measures the Mediterranean island nation's "greatest-ever intervention" to battle a widespread perception that crooked officials continue to operate unchecked.

The measures include establishing an anti-corruption task force under the direction of the attorney general and an "integrity service" tasked with vetting officials' personal assets for potential conflicts of interest.

Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis also announced the creation of a committee charged with preventing political interference in government appointments, the bolstering of legal protections for whistleblowers and the formation of a lobbyists...

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