The Paphos Municipality is facing scrutiny from the Audit Office after the Interior Ministry suspended Mayor Phaedon Phaedonos. This suspension is due to serious police investigations against him.
According to a report by ‘Phileleftheros’, Paphos municipal authorities reached out to the Auditor General. They asked for a complete audit of the municipality’s operations over the last ten years, which have raised public concerns. The Audit Office is taking this seriously, and the audit will likely look into financial management, contracts, public works, and urban planning. While no official details are out yet, there are talks of a broad range of audits.
Former Auditor General and leader of the Alma movement, Odysseas Michaelides, commented on this development in a post on platform X. He stressed that it’s the Audit Office’s duty to investigate every complaint it receives. He also noted that in autumn 2023, a detailed letter with financial and managerial findings was sent to the police after complaints about the Paphos Municipality. As he pointed out, there has been no update on these investigations as of September 2024.
He also mentioned a special report from December 2022, which followed a complaint from a Member of Parliament about granting 19 Turkish Cypriot professional premises to the Paphos Municipality. The mayor’s response is included in that report.
