Phedonos decries blackmail claim as ‘ridiculous tale’ and part of political character assassination

Suspended Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos on Wednesday dismissed a blackmail complaint examined by police as a “ridiculous tale”, saying it stemmed from a private family dispute and formed part of a coordinated effort to damage him politically ahead of the 2028 elections.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Phedonos said the allegations concerning a Turkish Cypriot business premise were being deliberately misrepresented.

He argued that those involved “should never have received” the property in question, claiming they were already employed at Paphos hospital, which he said was contrary to the rules governing such allocations, even though they were refugees.

“This is a family dispute dressed up as a scandal,” he said.

“It is being presented as something else entirely in order to assassinate my character.”

Phedonos also linked the complaint to ongoing disputes with Paphos land developer Theodoros Aristodemou, who has accused him of rape in a separate criminal investigation.

He referenced Aristodemou as “the man who chaired Laiki bank when it collapsed” and alleged that he had “swapped land agreements around”, referring to past legal cases that ultimately ended in acquittals.

Aristodemou has been involved in high-profile disputes involving both the municipality and state authorities.

A prominent land developer, he previously served as chairman of Laiki Bank in the years preceding its collapse during the 2013 financial crisis.

In parallel with his banking role, Aristodemou has repeatedly clashed with municipal authorities over planning and development issues.

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

Prosecutors alleged that approved plans were altered so that land designated as green space was reassigned for development.

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

The supreme court upheld the acquittal in 2019, rejecting a state appeal and ruling that while administrative irregularities had been identified, prosecutors failed to establish intent to defraud beyond reasonable doubt.

“All this is happening now for one reason,” Phedonos remarked.

“To politically eliminate me as a candidate before 2028.”

Addressing what he described as a pattern of trivial accusations, Phedonos cited an incident in which, he said, officials demanded that he personally attend the municipality to pay an €85 parking fine incurred by his driver.

He added that despite securing a €10,000 discount on a municipal vehicle, he was instead questioned about “why it was a Mercedes and not a Volvo”.

“This is pure village gossip,” he denounced.

The comments come following a complaint filed by a Paphos resident, a refugee leasing Turkish Cypriot property, who alleged that Phedonos told him he would not receive an approved planning permit unless he withdrew an earlier police complaint against the mayor.

The alleged threat was said to have been made during a telephone call in March 2023.

Police investigated the complaint and forwarded the file to the legal service, which instructed that it be classified as “not worthy of police attention”, effectively closing the matter.

The legal service confirmed the outcome and said it was considering whether to issue a formal public position.

According to the complaint, the dispute originated in early 2021 when municipal crews, accompanied by the mayor, intervened at the leased premises.

The resident alleged illegal interference and destruction of property and reported the matter to police on February 10, 2021.

He further claimed that although his planning application was approved in late 2021, the permit was not issued for almost two years.

The complainant alleged the mayor told him that, “In order to receive your permit, you must withdraw the complaint you made to the police.”

Phedonos rejected that account outright.

“This story is pure nonsense,” he said, denying any attempt to link the planning permit to the withdrawal of a complaint.

“We delayed issuing the permit by one to two months, not to blackmail anyone.”

He also denied allegations of property destruction, saying municipal action at the site concerned the demolition of what he described as an “arbitrary extension after 1974”.

Phedonos is currently on mandatory leave pending separate criminal investigations, including allegations raised by Aristodemou and a distinct probe into claims of domestic abuse, which both he and his wife have denied.

He said he had not been contacted by police in relation to the planning permit case and would respond to all matters through his lawyers.

Former auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides has said police were sent detailed findings in 2023 concerning financial and administrative issues in Paphos municipality, though he received no update on the outcome before his dismissal in 2024.

Phedonos dismissed claims of mismanagement, pointing to completed audits and awards for transparency, insisting the municipality’s financial records were fully up to date.