Court reinstates municipal officer
New developments in the Paphos mayor case followed a court decision that reinstated a senior officer of the Paphos municipality, while investigations into serious allegations against suspended mayor Phedonas Phedonos continue.
During an intervention on the television programme “Protoselido”, legal adviser Sigmos Angelides analysed the ruling and explained the wider legal issues surrounding the case.
Angelides said the dispute began in 2022 and turned into a long and complex legal battle, making the latest judgment the second time the officer won her case in court.
Second legal victory after dismissal
Angelides explained that the officer had already cancelled a previous dismissal through the courts and returned to work, but the municipality dismissed her again shortly afterwards, which led to a new legal challenge.
The Administrative Court decision issued on 16 March 2026 ruled in her favour again and found serious violations of the principle of impartiality during the procedure.
The Court examined the presence of the municipality’s legal adviser at a Municipal Council meeting as minute-keeper after a decision by the mayor. The judges noted that the Municipal Law does not allow the presence of third persons who are not municipal employees in such proceedings.
The officer returned to her duties this week and will receive the salaries she lost during the dismissal period.
Complaints against mayor not investigated
The Court noted that the officer had submitted complaints to police and to the Municipal Council about workplace intimidation, psychological pressure and an alleged incident of physical violence involving the mayor.
She also reported possible corruption offences, including issues related to Turkish Cypriot properties, problematic hiring procedures and the alleged misuse of pension funds.
According to the decision, the Municipal Council never examined these complaints when it decided to terminate her appointment and did not investigate them when it reviewed the case later.
The Court stressed that the mayor and the municipal secretary should have informed the council about the progress of the complaints and should have stayed out of the relevant meetings to avoid any suspicion of bias.
Whistleblower protection not applied, lawyer says
Angelides said his client became a target after she filed the complaints and argued that the law should have protected her as a whistleblower. He said this protection never applied, not even by the state.
He added that the cases remain under investigation and police may reach conclusions by the end of March.
Angelides also referred to three separate investigations involving the suspended mayor, including allegations of corruption, domestic violence and rape, noting that the authorities may file serious criminal charges if the evidence supports them.
Police and Law Office statements
Police confirmed that the Law Office reviewed the file concerning an alleged assault complaint by the mayor’s spouse and decided that the evidence at the time did not justify a court case.
Authorities have now requested additional material mentioned in media reports and will evaluate it.
Police also said prosecutors expect to file a separate rape case before the Limassol District Court in the coming days. Officials refused to comment on possible charges because no formal indictment has yet been submitted.
The complaint came from a businessman and the alleged victim. Authorities stressed that every suspect remains innocent until a court proves guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Questions over handling of complaints
During the discussion, journalists asked why authorities had not examined certain evidence earlier and why they did not fully investigate complaints that date back to 2017.
Angelides said the state must act in domestic violence cases even when a victim withdraws testimony, because doctors’ reports and other evidence can support a case.
He added that Cyprus has rules requiring doctors to inform police in suspected abuse cases, but authorities do not always apply them in practice.
The discussion ended with concerns about trust in institutions, after participants noted that citizens sometimes prefer to give evidence to journalists instead of police.
Also read: Phedonos: Facing rape & indecent assault charges – Next steps
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