Attorney-general’s new offices budget rises by €23 million

Nicosia, Cyprus. The planned new premises for the attorney-general’s offices are budgeted at €68 million under a new tender, €23 million more than the estimate when the previous tender was cancelled in 2023. The revised amount represents a 51 per cent increase from the earlier €45 million estimate, excluding VAT.

Previous tender cancelled

A tender for the new building was launched in 2023, when the project was estimated to cost €45 million, excluding VAT. The government cancelled the tender in September that year.

The project drew attention in 2023 following objections from then auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides.

Concerns over capacity and costs

Michaelides questioned the need for a building designed to accommodate around 400 people, when the attorney-general’s office had 193 employees according to state budget figures.

He calculated at the time that the capital expenditure for the building amounted to €133,000 per employee. He also raised concerns about the size of some offices and common areas, and recommended considering alternative ways of housing the attorney-general’s offices.

Specifications remain largely unchanged

According to daily Politis, the planned building’s specifications are virtually identical despite the €23 million price difference.

Under the 2023 tender, the building was planned to cover 23,300 square metres, including 15,300 square metres of superstructure and the remaining area in basements. It was to have 11 floors and capacity for 400 employees.

After Michaelides’ objections were leaked to the media, they prompted a dispute with attorney-general George Savvides, who said the specifications had been prepared by the department of public works rather than the attorney-general’s office.