Nicosia, Cyprus. Perjury allegations against Alma leader and former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides resurfaced on Wednesday, according to media reports that letters were sent to the legal service and police chief Themistos Arnaoutis seeking an investigation.
Origins of the allegations
The allegations were first raised by former audit office employee Andreas Hasapopoulos, who had previously been a close ally of Michaelides and operated a Facebook group created in support of him in the years leading up to Michaelides’ dismissal as auditor-general in 2024.
In the period before the dismissal, Michaelides frequently clashed with the legal service and much of Cyprus’ political leadership and was often accused of overreaching his duties. The Facebook group was presented as a response to those accusations, featuring posts praising Michaelides’ character and work while criticising his detractors.
Breakdown in relations and renewed claims
Relations between Michaelides and Hasapopoulos later deteriorated, with Michaelides deciding not to allow Hasapopoulos to stand in the forthcoming parliamentary elections on the Alma ballot, the party Michaelides established last year. Media reports said the decision was linked to Hasapopoulos being in his 70s.
Hasapopoulos then accused Michaelides of perjury, alleging that Michaelides gave false testimony in the court case that led to his dismissal when he said he had no involvement in the Facebook group or influence over its posts.
“My answer is that I have no connection whatsoever to the [Facebook group], nor could I decide what symbols or photographs were uploaded to it,” Michaelides told the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2024.
Court references and the Facebook group’s closure
A reference to the group was included in the court’s decision to remove Michaelides from his duties. The court cited “obscene content” and said that while the page did not belong to Michaelides, “it bore his name and photograph.”
The Facebook group was later shut down for violating the platform’s terms of service.
Evidence claim
Hasapopoulos first levelled the accusations in November, saying he had evidence of “direct and systematic communication” between himself and Michaelides about the group through WhatsApp messages.
What do you think the letters seeking an investigation could mean for the upcoming parliamentary elections?
