Opposition Akel on Monday hammered former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides for insinuating that its leader was implicated in the Vasiliko scandal.

Michaelides, who made the comments on CyBC, had first floated the idea last week during a live televised debate featuring party leaders.

Hitting back hard on Monday, an outraged Akel accused Michaelides – now the leader of the Alma party – of smear tactics.

“Odysseas Michaelides today repeated on the public broadcaster the baseless and dishonest claim that the leader of Akel is involved in the Vasiliko scandal,” Akel said.

The party said that, in reality, it was the first to condemn the Vasiliko LNG agreement concluded between the state and the Chinese-led contractor in late 2019.

“This is in contrast to others who looked the other way up until the time the European prosecutor’s office took action. Mr Michaelides knows this all too well, but for reasons known only to him he has decided to attack Akel and its leader in this vile manner.”

Akel called it “sad” that Michaelides is “basing his entire election campaign on a bid to portray himself as a Messiah who is taking on corruption, dismissing everyone else as corrupt”.

It added: “Cyprus is a small place, and everyone knows who is who. Certainly we don’t expect that we will agree on everything, but it’s quite another thing for Odysseas Michaelides to sling mud at the Akel leader merely to win a few votes.”

A recent poll showed that Alma will garner around 9 per cent of the vote, making it into parliament.

Michaelides had earlier tangled with the other major party, Disy, likewise accusing its leadership of corruption.

Responding, Disy said none of its senior cadres have been convicted for corruption.

In September 2025 it became known that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) was running an investigation into the LNG import terminal at Vasiliko on suspicion of procurement fraud, misappropriation of EU funds and corruption.

Though the investigation began in March 2024, in September 2025 it was made known that the EPPO was scrutinising bank accounts of politicians, current and former state officials and civil servants.

The probe was initiated following the publication in January 2024 of a report by the Audit Office – then headed up by Michaelides – regarding possible violations during the procurement procedure and the subsequent execution of the public contract for the LNG project.

In September 2024, Michaelides was sacked as auditor-general after a Supreme Constitutional Court decision found him unfit for office.

A few months later, in May 2025, Michaelides launched his Alma party, which presents itself as a long-term reform movement.