Shock, sadness and stunned silence in courtroom

In a courtroom that was packed to the brim, an audible sob followed the news that Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides was fired on Wednesday.

The hearing lasted two hours and at times the courtroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as everyone was glued to the panel of judges who held Michaelides’ future in their hands.

The courtroom was swamped with everything from journalists, audit office staffers, friends, family and lawyers as one of the country’s most popular independent officials was taken to task.

It was clear in the first 10 minutes that things were not looking good for Michaelides. The more the judges said, the starker his future looked.

Security was tight, with dozens of police officers outside and inside the Supreme Court building.

The mood in the room shifted when the judges said the decision was unanimous. As each judge took their turn to read an excerpt from the ruling, it became all the more clear that Michaelides would not be staying on.

Attendees looked increasingly ashen, but Michaelides maintained a straight face – though members of his legal team betrayed a different look. Head in hand, slouched back, one of his lawyers did not hide his hopelessness.

Staffers of the audit office that have long turned up to the hearings as a show of support looked increasingly deflated.

Attorney General George Savvides on the other hand leaned forward in his seat, catching every word the judges said. His lawyers whispered to each other at times, with more smiles exchanged between them as the hearing continued.

The terminology was harsh. Michaelides was found to have not exercised any self-restraint, to have deliberately misinformed the public, to have not done the bare minimum that was expected in terms of conduct.

Judges determined he deliberately sought to undermine the legal service, had been brash in his attitude, lacked any objectivity and did not carry himself the way an official should have done.

When the final decision was announced, a sob from a member of the public echoed around the room.

Some were stunned into silence, while others rushed to shake the hand of Savvides – who brought the case to have Michaelides fired.

Savvides walked out without making a comment and as the auditor general eventually made his way out a round of applause broke out.

Michaelides himself kept his composure throughout – and even when he delivered his fiery speech after the decision, charging he had fallen prey to an orchestrated effort to remove him, he kept himself together.

His hands shook slightly when he thanked his family but he reiterated his fight against corruption would not stop.

He also said he would discuss possible next steps – suggesting perhaps he is considering an appeal of the decision at the European Court of Human Rights.