Paphos, Cyprus. Suspended Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos said on Tuesday that allegations of embezzlement and administrative malpractice against him are part of an “organised smear campaign,” as investigations into the municipality continue.
Mayor’s response and claims of transparency
Phedonos, who is currently on mandatory leave, said Paphos is “the only one in Cyprus with audited accounts up to 2024,” while he claimed other municipalities’ accounts extend “even up to 2016.”
In a social media post, he said that “when the first plot fails, the next one is deployed, when one category cannot be substantiated, a new one is ‘discovered.’ This is a coordinated campaign.”
He cited a municipality post dated October 22, 2024, stating that audited financial statements up to 2024 have been completed, submitted, and sent to the auditor-general.
“Good administration and transparency have never been a communication trick. They are at the core of the municipality’s administration, evidenced by the audited accounts, proving the economic and development results and confirmed by European recognition,” he wrote.
Phedonos, who remains entitled to one third of his salary while on leave, said “the organised effort to tarnish me will not go unanswered, neither institutionally nor politically.”
Investigations and allegations
His comments come as authorities investigate multiple allegations of financial and administrative irregularities, including unlawful recruitment, misappropriation of funds, and the improper management of Turkish Cypriot property.
Investigations into the municipality began after a complaint filed in April 2022 by a municipal employee who was allegedly dismissed shortly after raising concerns.
The inquiry, initially handled by Paphos CID and later by CID headquarters in Nicosia, focuses on four main allegations: the alleged diversion of €1.5 million from the municipal employees’ pension fund, unlawful recruitment practices, the subletting of Turkish Cypriot property for commercial use without legal authority, and misuse of the mayor’s official vehicle with overtime payments for municipal employees acting as drivers.
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