The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, received an additional €157,209 beyond his regular salary during the period when he served as the Government Spokesperson, as reported in an audit report by the Audit Service.
The report also highlights amounts received by Mr. Christodoulides that the Auditor General deems should be refunded.
Specifically, the Auditor General requests the President to return €20,804 from the foreign maintenance allowance, €24,995 from the amount received for annual leave, and part of the €38,928 received for official vehicle use, without specifying the exact amount, pending calculation of the distances related to official travels.
These revelations may trigger a significant clash between Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides and President Christodoulides, as the latter implies an abuse of power, potentially leading to an indirect appeal to the Supreme Court for the dismissal of the Auditor General.
The Audit Service, citing the General Accountant, states that the €157,209 allegedly received by the President without justification (while in public service) constitutes gross amounts (before deduction of benefits and income tax), part of his salary.
However, the Auditor General does not consider the need for the return of the €157,209, attributing the issue primarily to the procedure followed by the Cabinet and not to the actions of Mr. Christodoulides.
The above references are made in a report by the Auditor General, prepared following an anonymous complaint, examining “remunerations and benefits received by the President of the Republic during the period he served as Government Spokesperson.”
It is noted that despite the above, the Auditor General does not consider the need for the return of the €157,209, as the irregularity does not seem to have affected the decision’s outcome.
Therefore, a conclusion cannot be safely drawn that the irregularity was substantial, and thus the expenditure is not covered by normality.
Accordingly, no opinion is expressed on the irregularity of the related payments.
However, it is emphasized that there is a need for faithful compliance with the provisions of the law by the Cabinet, which, according to relevant legislation, is obliged to follow the types required by law.
Regarding the issue of refunding money by the President, the Auditor General focuses on the amounts Mr. Christodoulides received as a foreign maintenance allowance, for the official vehicle he used, and for his annual leave.
The report states that from April 14, 2014, to February 28, 2018, Mr. Christodoulides received €41,024 as a foreign maintenance allowance for trips abroad.
This allowance does not include airfare or hotel expenses, as these costs were separately covered by the Presidency of the Republic.
The report also mentions that following his retirement from public service, Mr. Christodoulides receives a monthly pension of €1,013, corresponding to his service until December 31, 2012.
The remaining pension, earned for the period from January 1, 2013, to February 28, 2018, will commence when he turns 58.
Upon his retirement, he also received a lump sum of €56,752 for his service until December 31, 2012, and an amount of €11,411 (minus €4,000 tax) for his service until February 28, 2018 (the second amount was paid on December 21, 2021).
The calculation of his retirement benefits did not take into account other allowances.
