Government under fire for Vasilikos cost surge
The government faces intense scrutiny over the Vasilikos LNG terminal, as MPs warned on Tuesday that cost could triple from the original €315 million budget to nearly €1 billion. Opposition lawmakers branded the stalled project a “scandal” and a “ticking bomb,” demanding answers over transparency and accountability.
Committee clashes over legal fees and disclosures
During a heated House Energy Committee session, tension erupted between MPs and Natural Gas Infrastructure Company (ETYFA) representatives over undisclosed consultant and legal adviser payments.
Committee Chairman Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis accused ETYFA of “obsessively” withholding information, telling officials they were in “parliament, not a grocery store.” ETYFA Chairman George Ashikalis countered that leaks of sensitive data had jeopardized ongoing London arbitration proceedings.
Minister promises data but admits delays
Energy Minister Michalis Damianos sought to calm the debate, promising detailed documentation in the coming days, including a technical study by French firm Technip. However, he confirmed that the Prometheus FSRU’s arrival is stalled until a jetty is completed, and that any chartering to third parties would require complex EU consultations. No new completion dates were announced pending fresh tenders.
Political fallout and ongoing investigations
AKEL Secretary Stefanos Stefanou criticized both current and previous governments for failing to resolve “appalling agreements,” while MPs from DISY and DIKO rejected ETYFA’s claims of leaks as “provocative.”
Separate probes by the Law Office and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office into the Vasilikos terminal and the Great Sea Interconnector continue, with no timeline for completion. The committee will reconvene next week.
Source: Philenews
Also read: Zygi–Vasiliko LPG project: Cyprus Audit Office finds delays, irregularities and soaring cost
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