Former auditor-general reports president to anti-corruption authority

Former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides on Tuesday filed a formal complaint to the anti-corruption authority regarding President Nikos Christodoulides’ use of a leisure/events hall in Nicosia during the 2023 election campaign.

In his complaint, which he also summarised in a post on X, the former chief auditor implied a possible corrupt relationship between Christodoulides – a presidential candidate at the time – and the owner of the venue.

Earlier, Michaelides had made a great deal of noise over the fact that the premises had received multiple permits in quick succession, even though they were allegedly in violation of safety standards.

The Nicosia district organisation (EOA) has since launched an investigation into the matter.

In his complaint, Michaelides posed a number of questions. He asked if Christodoulides (as presidential candidate at the time) paid via bank transfer the going market rate for using the events hall for an election campaign gathering.

If he did not pay the market rate, this – according to Michaelides – amounts to “an illegal donation from the owner to Christodoulides per the law governing electioneering”.

And if this was in fact a donation to Christodoulides, and regardless whether the donation was illegal or not, the question arises as to whether the “serial violations of the law” regarding the premises, and the issuance of permits to it despite these violations, may point to “an unprecedented haste to do a favour to the businessman (the owner of the venue) or else a quid pro quo for the aforementioned donation”.

Assuming such a dubious tradeoff was involved, Michaelides goes on to ask whether “it is due to their initiative (meaning the officials who approved the permits) or to instructions from their superiors, or from the President of the Republic himself.”

In his post on X, Michaelides attached a photograph from the event in question held in early 2023. The photo depicts Christodoulides, and near him – indicated by an arrow – purportedly the owner of the venue whose face is blocked out.