Paphos, Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriot property management service is investigating 110 contracts signed by the Paphos municipality for the use of abandoned Turkish Cypriot property, reports said on Wednesday. The interior ministry has also reviewed related files and said most cases examined so far show no irregularities, aside from changes in the approved purpose of use.
Review of contracts and findings
According to the Cyprus News Agency, the interior ministry received files connected to contracts signed by the Paphos municipality regarding the use of Turkish Cypriot property. In the “vast majority” of cases examined so far, the ministry said “no irregularities appear to have arisen,” except for “unilateral differentiation from the purpose of use.”
It reported examples in which the interior ministry may have approved the lease of property for use as a green space, but the space may have ended up being used as a car park.
The ministry said it has not found that the Paphos municipality signed contracts for the use of Turkish Cypriot property with the intent of making profit from it.
Cases still under investigation
Reports said “four or five” cases remain under investigation after complaints were made to the interior ministry.
Those cases reportedly involve instances where displaced persons applied to rent property, but the use was eventually assigned to the municipality instead.
Related scrutiny of former mayor
The reports follow earlier information that attorney-general George Savvides was examining a file containing information regarding the alleged illegal handling of abandoned Turkish Cypriot property by Phedonas Phedonos, who was suspended from his duties as Paphos mayor earlier this month.
It was alleged that Phedonos illegally sublet Turkish Cypriot property in Moutallos, described as the old Turkish Cypriot neighbourhood near the centre of Paphos, for commercial use.
Phedonos was suspended after Paphos-based land developer Theodoros Aristodemou, of Aristo Developers, accused him of rape, saying the incident occurred around ten years ago, and later giving a statement to the police.
Phedonos was later accused of domestic abuse, with social media personality Ioanna Photiou, known by her alias Annie Alexui, claiming to hold documents related to admissions of Phedonos’ wife Louiza Andreou to the Nicosia general hospital in 2017, which stated she had been “beaten” by Phedonos.
What steps should be taken to ensure approved uses of abandoned properties are followed?