The case of illegal water diversion from the Kourris River in Trimiklini has escalated into a major political clash, with an opposition MP accusing Cyprus’s Law Office of systematically blocking prosecution efforts.
AKEL MP Irene Charalambidou launched a sharp attack on the Attorney General’s office following revelations by Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou that showed government departments hitting what she called a “wall of silence” from the Law Office.
The Interior Minister’s answers to Phileleftheros revealed a pattern of stalled action.
In September 2024, the Interior Ministry sent a letter requesting criminal prosecution after a compliance deadline expired, but received no update since.
The Town Planning Department requested judicial measures for illegal constructions in protection zones in November 2023.
The Limassol District Administration submitted a report on illegal buildings in 2022.
Charalambidou described the situation as “selective inaction” on social media, pointing to last month’s Independent Authority against Corruption report.
The 19 December report attributed potential criminal liability to three people, including former Agriculture Minister Nikos Kouyialis.
In a parliamentary question filed yesterday, Charalambidou demanded answers about a crucial October 2024 meeting at the Law Office attended by both the Interior Minister and the Agriculture Minister.
“Please inform us what decisions were taken in October 2024 at the meeting held at the Law Office in your presence and that of the Agriculture Minister, what actions have been taken since by the Law Office, and how you intend to handle this whole issue to restore legality and defend the rule of law, following the issuing of the Independent Authority against Corruption’s report,” she wrote.
The MP challenged the minister directly: “Have you exhausted all legal tools to enforce the removal of the illegalities, or does everything now depend on the Law Office’s willingness?”.
