Greek Cypriot Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou confirmed on Tuesday that a senior official from the Turkish Cypriot Property Management Service will not face criminal prosecution despite serious allegations of large-scale abuse of Turkish Cypriot properties.
The case emerged following public complaints by Paphos Mayor Phaedon Phaedonos, who accused the official of accumulating significant assets intended for Turkish Cypriot refugees. According to the report, the civil servant had been in possession of Turkish Cypriot agricultural land initially measuring 1.8 million square meters, later reduced to 861,000 square meters, for which he paid a mere €400 in annual rent. Additionally, he has occupied a Turkish Cypriot residence in Paphos since 1985.
The controversy deepened when it was revealed that his entire immediate family benefited similarly. His wife obtained commercial-use Turkish Cypriot property in 2009, while his children secured Turkish Cypriot residences in 2008 and 2019 respectively.
Despite these revelations, Ioannou stated that the Legal Service found insufficient evidence to pursue a criminal case based on available witness material. However, the legal review did highlight irregularities in how these properties were allocated -prompting the minister to order the termination of all family-related leases except the one granted in the 1980s, citing that the official remains the legitimate beneficiary of that residence.
In addition, Ioannou announced that disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against the civil servant, while broader corrective measures are being taken to tighten control over Turkish Cypriot property management.
Paphos Mayor Responds “Banana State”
Mayor Phaedonos reacted sharply to the developments, calling the lack of accountability a reflection of systemic corruption. “I made the complaints publicly and in the end, we were left with the trouble and the muse of the corrupt system! We are a banana state where crimes and tax evasion go unpunished,” he said.
( Source : Politis)
