The house interior committee has given a 24-hour deadline for the full payment of outstanding compensation owed to a former employee of the Cyprus broadcasting corporation (CyBC). The issue was raised during Thursday’s discussion on the organisation’s budget.

Committee chairman and Akel MP Aristos Damianou criticised the government for failing to comply with a court ruling mandating the payment. Speaking after the session, he said the Cybc budget had been submitted to parliament with significant delays.

“We want employees to be paid on time, and we will ensure that the budget reaches the House plenary promptly so that March salaries are processed,” Damianou stated. He added that while parliament was acting responsibly, others had failed to do the same.

The debate over CyBC’s budget was overshadowed by the unresolved issue of compensation for the former employee. Parliament had addressed the matter in December, approving a budget of €1.6 million following a government request to ensure payment in 2024.

However, despite this, the government has yet to release the funds.

“The government has inexplicably failed to comply with legislation that it itself requested and is now also refusing to honour a court ruling. This not only breaches the law but also increases costs for taxpayers, as court decisions accumulate legal interest,” Damianos remarked.

He stressed that the matter represented a serious violation of the law and confirmed that relevant documents would be forwarded to both the Audit Office and the attorney-general’s office for further action.

“Everyone is equal before the law. When parliament passes legislation, especially at the government’s request, it must be respected,” he emphasised.

While parliament is willing to approve CyBC’s budget, Damianou insisted that the outstanding debt must be settled immediately.

“I have given a 24-hour deadline for the interior and finance ministries to confirm, within the budget, the full settlement of the debt as per the court ruling. Otherwise, this violation cannot go unnoticed, not by us, nor by any party in the House of representatives,” he warned.