Row between auditor-general and UCy rector deepens

University of Cyprus rector Tasos Christofides on Friday denied allegations of conflict of interest surrounding the employment of his daughter, calling on the auditor-general to show some respect on the institution that he serves and issue a correction.

The two have clashed repeatedly over the past few weeks, though the row turned personal after the audit service said it has been informed of a “misleading” letter Christofides had sent to parliament. The issue concerns a suggestion by the audit service to implement a ceiling on remuneration medical school staff receive, and allow more money to go towards young researchers.

Christofides, according to the audit service, has been opposed to this, hinting that this is because his daughter is employed at the university’s medical school.  The rector specified his daughter does not in fact work for the medical school and as such there is no conflict of interest. He called on auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides to issue a correction.

The issue came to the fore on Thursday, after the audit service tweeted it had been informed that Christofides “did not disclose, as he should have, that his daughter is employed by the medical school. We are exploring further action.”

Christofides hit back immediately, saying he had refrained from responding to Michaelides’ “attacks” but now his daughter had been dragged into it. “The truth is as such: my daughter is employed at the Biobank centre of excellence, headed by Mr Delta, the only person that doesn’t get remunerated by the state health services Okypy”.

Though the exchange had thus far been limited to the audit service’s official account and Christofides’ personal account, Michaelides then responded through his personal Twitter saying this was “a classic case of conflict of interest which (Christofides) did not disclose of.”

He stated that for transparency reasons, the rector should publicly state his daughter’s salary.  “The matter does not concern your daughter but you.” According to the auditor-general, Christofides should not have gotten involved in the matter to begin with or should have refrained from writing a letter to parliament without the signatures of the university’s council.

On Friday morning, the rector stressed there was no conflict of interest as his daughter was not employed at the medical school. He called on Michaelides to “safeguard the integrity of the institution you serve, by issuing a corrective statement.”

Nonetheless the auditor-general appeared undeterred, responding that Christofides’ daughter is employed in a program headed by a professor at the medical school for over ten years. “I await for you to publish her salary. The matter concerns you, not your child. There are still other aspects to be considered beyond the obvious conflict of interest.”

Earlier this month, the auditor-general and university clashed over the employment of Nobel laureate Christopher Pissarides as well as a professor with a criminal conviction.