Speculation grows on Michaelides’ next move
Media on Monday speculated on the career prospects of Odysseas Michaelides after his sacking from the post of auditor-general, with one newspaper suggesting he might author a book on the ‘golden passports’ scandal.
Michaelides was fired from his job last week after a court found him guilty of ‘conduct unbecoming’.
It’s understood that despite his sacking, he’s entitled to a pension. He had served as a civil servant at the transport ministry for a number of years before being appointed auditor-general in 2014.
Although Michaelides, 56, is still eligible for pension benefits, he will not receive them until the age of 65.
It was unclear whether he would also receive a one-off pension bonus.
At any rate, the currently jobless Michaelides will not have a guaranteed income for the next eight to nine years.
Daily Phileleftheros reported that it spoke to a person close to the former official who said Michaelides has various thoughts on what to do going forward.
The newspaper’s source claimed Michaelides has already been approached about a job in the private sector. The person seemed to be suggesting that the former auditor-general is in high demand.
One possibility is working as a consultant for private companies, such as corporations typically bidding for public contracts. However, the source stressed, Michaelides would never work for a company either directly implicated in or otherwise linked to malfeasance related to public contracts.
Given his past experience, one option for Michaelides would be to work as a consultant, advising companies on how to draft their bids for public contracts.
He could also teach, as he had done in the past at the University of Cyprus.
Yet another possibility, the paper surmised, is for Michaelides to write a book about his experiences at the Audit Office. And he might focus on the scandal of the ‘golden passports’.