House speaker lambasts police handling over Phedonos case

Disy president and House speaker Annita Demetriou said on Wednesday that her party would act “ruthlessly” if allegations against Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos are substantiated, while expressing sharp dissatisfaction with what she called a lack of clarity from police over the scope of their investigations.

Taking on Omega TV, Demetriou stressed that despite the seriousness of the allegations, Disy could not proceed with expelling Phedonos at this stage, as he has not been found guilty and the presumption of his innocence must remain until proven otherwise.

“We will be ruthless if the complaint is substantiated,” she said.

“As long as there is no conviction, it is not legitimate for the party to move towards expulsion.”

Her comments came hours after the interior ministry confirmed that Phedonos and Lefkoniko mayor Pieris Gypsiotis had been placed on mandatory leave under Article 113 of the municipalities law, following police updates on ongoing criminal investigations.

The provision applies automatically when elected officials face allegations that could carry prison sentences of more than three years.

Demetriou said the party’s information on the Phedonos case has come almost entirely through media reports.

“Until yesterday, the information we had was that there was no complaint. We are officially waiting, and if there is anything politically, we can do, we will do it,” she said. “There is nothing we can do and we are not doing it.”

She made clear, however, that she was troubled by the absence of clear public communication from the police regarding which complaints are being investigated.

“I see a woman publicly complaining about a series of offences. The state has an obligation to listen, to investigate, to see what is true and what is not true,” she said.

Referring to public statements by Ioanna Fotiou, known online as ‘Annie Alexui’, Demetriou questioned why police had not clarified the scope of their inquiries.

“She herself begged to be heard. She says she has secured asylum. Why doesn’t the police ask for all the information to be provided?” she asked.

 “Should we know which cases are being investigated and which are not? For so many days, are we participating in a discussion without knowing where it will lead?”

At the same time, Demetriou underlined that political parties could not intervene in police work.

Asked whether she would contact the police directly for updates, she said, “We cannot intervene, our powers are distinct. Any shadow on the system and justice is negative for all of us.”

“Let everything be examined,” she added. “Let there be no shadow, and if there is anything reprehensible, let there be justice.”

The investigations concerning Phedonos include a complaint linked to statements by businessman Theodoros Aristodemou, who has accused the mayor of raping a family member around a decade ago.

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

Police are also examining a separate case involving allegations of domestic abuse linked to the mayor’s wife, stressing that the two investigations are distinct.

Phedonos has denied all allegations, describing the probes as a politically motivated character assassination.

His wife, Louisa Andreou, has also rejected claims against her, saying she is not a victim.

Demetriou also referred to the case of Disy MP Nikos Sykas, saying the party could not act against any official without a guilty verdict.

“We are not justified in removing anyone unless he is found guilty,” she said.

“Everything we do is with the advice of our legal counsel. We are human, we do not rejoice in such developments.”

Both mayors will remain on leave until investigations or any subsequent trials conclude, after which they may return to office if cleared or face automatic dismissal if convicted.