Disy officials trade accusations over Platres gathering

Platres, Cyprus. Disy deputy chairman Efthimios Diplaros and vice-chairman Yiannis Karousos have exchanged accusations of disloyalty after Karousos said Diplaros attended a gathering supporting President Nikos Christodoulides.

Leadership meeting allegation

According to Reporter, Karousos raised the issue during an online Disy leadership meeting, while Diplaros was absent.

The gathering took place last Saturday at a Platres property owned by a businessman related to Diplaros. Christodoulides attended alongside Diplaros and other business and political figures.

Diplaros response

After learning of the allegation, Diplaros sent messages to the party communication group demanding that Karousos explain his remarks.

“No one was going to forbid him from going anywhere,” Diplaros said, adding that the gathering had also included supporters of Disy leader Annita Demetriou, former party leader Averof Neophytou and Akel.

He asked Karousos whether he supported Demetriou or Neophytou and named three other attendees, asking whether Karousos considered them “sold out”.

Diplaros told Karousos: “Go public, no problem, traitor, you’re a sellout and you show it.”

Other members of the communication group temporarily calmed the exchange.

Athienou meeting dispute

Diplaros later accused Karousos of repeating the allegations at a local party meeting in Athienou on Tuesday night and said he would file a police report for defamation.

Karousos denied referring to Diplaros at the meeting and cited other attendees as witnesses.