Nicosia, Cyprus. Alma party leader Odysseas Michaelides and a Disy MP candidate clashed over the weekend after Michaelides accused the candidate of benefiting from the Vasiliko LNG affair. The dispute followed media reports about Michaelides’ involvement, as auditor-general, in the process that led to the awarding of the LNG terminal contract to a Chinese consortium.
Reports on contract process and project status
The confrontation followed a report by Offsite, which published official correspondence purportedly showing that, despite claims to the contrary, Michaelides was part of the process that led to the awarding of the LNG terminal contract to the Chinese consortium.
The Chinese contractor walked out in July 2024, leaving the LNG project half-finished and in limbo. The state is now in arbitration proceedings against the contractor in a London court.
Michaelides’ response and claims about warnings
Reacting to the reports over the weekend, Michaelides, who was sacked as auditor-general in September 2024, criticised the previous administration of Nicos Anastasiades.
Michaelides said that under his watch the Audit Office had explicitly warned against awarding the contract to the Chinese consortium in 2019. He also referred to a meeting at the presidential palace in November 2019, saying Anastasiades overrode objections to awarding the contract to the Chinese consortium.
Criticism of ministers and Defa legal consultants
In social media posts, Michaelides criticised then-finance minister Harris Georgiades and then-energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis for insisting on awarding the contract to the Chinese consortium.
He also criticised Defa’s legal consultants, referring specifically to the involvement of Giorgos Pamboridis’ law firm. Michaelides wrote that lawyers would benefit from the arbitration, naming Pamboridis and stating that fees exceeded €2 million.
Public cost and electricity prices
Michaelides said the public would be the main loser, referring to a €1 billion price tag and costly electricity, and criticised what he described as the “corrupt establishment” for blaming others rather than apologising.
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