Two mayors placed on leave amid criminal investigations

Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos and Lefkoniko mayor Pieris Gypsiotis have been placed on mandatory leave pending the outcome of criminal investigations, the interior ministry confirmed on Wednesday.

The suspension, in line with Article 113 of the municipalities law, is automatic when elected officials face charges carrying a potential prison sentence of more than three years.

The leave will take effect upon publication in the official gazette, expected in an extraordinary edition tomorrow following the return of Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou from Brussels.

While on leave, the mayors will receive one third of their salaries.

The suspension remains in place until the conclusion of investigations or trial, after which officials may return to office if cleared or face automatic dismissal if convicted.

The decision follows updates from police detailing ongoing inquiries into alleged domestic violence offences involving both mayors.

Sources close to criminal investigations inform the Cyprus Mail that Gypsotis is under investigation for the alleged abuse of his wife and children and was reported by a member of his own family.

Separate criminal proceedings are already pending against him in relation to similar allegations, involving incidents said to have occurred between 2019 and 2023, before his election as mayor.

That investigation concluded in early 2024, and the trial is scheduled to begin in March 2026.

In Phedonos’ case, authorities are investigating a complaint linked to a statement by businessman Theodoros Aristodemou, who has accused the mayor of raping a family member approximately ten years ago.

Aristodemou has provided a detailed statement to police.

The alleged victim also gave a five-hour statement to police on Tuesday.

Police confirmed that this testimony is being reviewed alongside a separate investigation into claims of domestic abuse involving Phedonos’s wife.

Authorities stressed that the two cases are distinct and are being examined independently.

All evidence and statements are under assessment before any further action is taken.

Aristodemou reiterated his allegations on Tuesday, saying he first publicly accused Phedonos around a decade ago and challenged the mayor to take legal action at the time.

“I reported it on television on the programme that existed at the time on CyBC. I didn’t feel that I needed to make another complaint,” he said.

Aristodemou himself is a well-known land developer in Paphos and has previously had serious disputes with the municipality.

In 2014, he, his wife and two associates were referred for trial before the criminal court in connection with alleged fraud involving the demarcation of 177 plots of land in the Skali area of Paphos.

The case concerned accusations that approved plans were switched, resulting in thousands of square metres of land originally designated as green space being reassigned to a development company.

The four were later cleared by the Paphos criminal court in 2015 of charges including forgery, conspiracy abuse of power and bribery.

The supreme court upheld the court’s finding in 2019, rejecting a state appeal against the acquittal of Aristodemou, asserting that prosecutors had failed to prove intent to defraud beyond reasonable doubt, ruling that while irregularities existed in the paperwork, there was “no deliberate attempt to secure planning permission under false pretences”.

He added that he had invited Phedonos to sue him so that the case could be adjudicated, but no legal action followed.

Phedonos has denied all allegations, described the investigations as politically motivated character assassination and framed them as part of what he called a “merciless war” against him.

He also dismissed claims concerning his wife, Louisa Andreou, while she has publicly rejected any wrongdoing.

Andreou has rejected the allegations, saying she does not feel fear or require protection.

“Those who know me in my workplace, family and social environment know that I am not a victim,” she said.

She described her marriage as harmonious for two decades and framed the social media posts as a coordinated attack on her husband’s political career.

Police reiterated that the investigations into both the alleged sexual assault and the domestic abuse claims are ongoing.

The law governing municipal officials provides for automatic leave to protect the integrity of office and to prevent interference with judicial proceedings.

Once investigations conclude, officials may resume duties if cleared or be removed permanently in the event of conviction.

No further statements have been issued by the interior ministry, which has confirmed that all matters are being handled by law enforcement agencies.

Police have confirmed that all statements and evidence, including those from the alleged victim and Aristodemou, are being carefully evaluated to determine next steps.