An anonymous complaint recently filed with the Independent Authority Against Corruption has once again brought to light a problem that has been plaguing an entire neighbourhood in Germasogeia for over five years.
On Agios Ilarionas street, an apartment building is in an alarming state: one side of it is literally ‘hanging in the air’, as the necessary retaining wall was never built. Residents of both the building itself and neighbouring homes are exposed to serious danger, while apartment owners have still not received their title deeds.
The Independent Authority examined the complaint and found no evidence of corruption under the relevant law. However, it did not overlook the threat to human life. It stressed that the absence of a retaining wall could lead to injuries or even loss of life, particularly for those living at a lower elevation. The Authority sent a letter to the municipality demanding immediate action.
The Mayor of Amathountas, Kyriakos Xydias, admitted that the situation has been dragging on for years. ‘It’s something we’ve been trying to do anyway,’ he said, explaining that a 2021 proposal to build a large retaining wall was never carried out because the key owner of the adjacent plot refused access to his property due to health issues.
The bureaucratic inertia has kept apartment owners trapped for decades — without title deeds, without a completed development, and without a sense of safety.
