Cyprus Football Association (CFA) chairman Giorgos Koumas came under heavy criticism on Wednesday after the Cyprus sports writers’ union withdrew an award from a journalist who had uncovered corruption within Cypriot football.

The journalist in question, Fanis Makrides, had been the subject of a letter sent by the CFA in October, wherein the association expressed “surprise and displeasure” at the award.

The CFA had alleged that Makrides’ work had been defamatory and said it “rejected” the content of the work in which he had written that corruption was to be found deep at the heart of the CFA.

The award was withdrawn on Tuesday, with the Cyprus journalists’ union the following day decrying “unfair interference”, and describing the CFA’s actions as “reprehensible”, “anachronistic” and “antidemocratic”.

“The suspension of Makrides’ award, following the unimaginable intervention made by the CFA, is a disgrace to freedom of expression, the plurality of opinions and the freedom of the press,” the union said, while also lamenting that the sports writers’ union had “given in to CFA pressure”.

“Free, investigative, penetrating, quality journalism must be left unhindered and unabated to fulfil its role and carry out its mission,” it said, adding that Makrides has its full support.

“For free investigative journalism, there are no sacred cows, nor anything else which is allowed to remain away from the line of fire.”

Koumas had been accused, among other things, of having created an “unfair advantage” for some clubs by way of manipulating the money paid to them as part of television rights deals.

“Teams received money in violation of agreements … in such a way as to create an unfair advantage in favour of some clubs,” Makrides reported last year.

This includes an accusation that money paid to the CFA by CytaVision for television rights to domestic Cypriot football matches “was distributed by the CFA, in time and quantity, according to the will of Giorgos Koumas”.

“It is also noted that he received CytaVision’s millions from the television agreements and sponsorship on behalf of the teams and distributed them as he wanted,” the accusations state. “There were occasions where CytaVision money was given on the instructions of [Koumas] in violation of the agreements made with the clubs,” Makrides’ report said.

In addition, Koumas was accused of having granted a bonus of €200,000 to one club “without reasonable cause”, and that this bonus was granted while the club in question was participating in games surrounded by “suspicious betting activity”.