Suspended Paphos mayor Phedon Phedonos appears before the Paphos Criminal Court this morning to enter his plea on four charges, including rape, with the trial expected to begin in early September if he denies the allegations, according to information available to Phileleftheros.
The court, sitting from 9am, will formally put to Phedonos four charges: rape, indecent assault, administering a substance to stupefy with intent to commit a felony or misdemeanour, and assault causing actual bodily harm.
He is expected to deny all four, at which point the court will set a date for the substantive trial, including the summoning of witnesses from both sides. Phileleftheros understands the prosecution will apply for the proceedings to be held in camera.
The case had been due to proceed on May 28, but was adjourned after judge Nikodemos Fakontis recused himself, citing three grounds: his late father had filed a wiretapping application against Phedonos in a case involving SAPA, a matter now handled by his lawyer wife following his father’s death; a past altercation between his father, who managed Evseveia Club, and Phedonos; and a close spiritual relationship between his sister and the Phedonos family. The Criminal Court accepted the recusal and rescheduled for today to allow the Supreme Court time to appoint a replacement.
That appointment was made several days ago. The new member of the bench is district judge Maria Sokratous. The full panel now comprises Lia Markou, Senior District Judge, Theodoros Symeonidis, District Judge, and Maria Sokratous, District Judge.
Case background
Phedonos was suspended from the mayoralty of Paphos in February 2026 after Paphos land developer Theodoros Aristodemou publicly accused him of raping a woman around ten years earlier and gave a statement to police. The alleged incident is said to have taken place in 2014.
Following an investigation by a specially constituted team that took more than 20 statements — including from individuals who held public office at the time — Phedonos was indicted on four charges: rape, indecent assault, administering a substance to stupefy with intent to commit a felony or misdemeanour, and assault causing actual bodily harm.
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