Apostolos Tomaras
What once could be dismissed as a whiff of scandal has now become a full-blown controversy in Latchi, with the local planning authority in Paphos accused of acting as a “state within a state” in the approval of a hotel project that has repeatedly sidestepped the law.
The case centers on the Leonardo Club Latchi, a hotel whose construction has violated regulations from the very beginning. Despite multiple warnings from state authorities, the owner pushed ahead with work without securing the necessary permits, a defiance that continued until recently. What has alarmed observers is the stance of the Paphos Planning Authority (E.O.A. Paphos), whose recent approval of the building permit appears to reward the owner rather than hold him accountable, creating a precedent critics warn could transform picturesque Latchi into a chaotic hub reminiscent of Ayia Napa.
Permit drama and alleged pressure
Earlier, the project’s building permit was withheld by former head of the licensing authority, Heraklis Achniotis, who resisted outside pressure to sign off on a permit he considered flawed. Achniotis reportedly refused because the hotel owner flagrantly ignored urban planning rules, which in similar cases would have required halting work and demolishing unauthorized structures. Achniotis, who had been temporarily acting as director of licensing after the departure of Eliza Lamprianidou, was reportedly considering staying in Paphos permanently. However, the pressure surrounding this permit led him to step back and return to his position in Nicosia.
His successor, Konstantinos Portidis, quickly approved the permit shortly after assuming office, raising fresh questions about the authority’s handling of the project. Observers point to rumors that Achniotis faced persistent pressure to resign in order to remove an obstacle to the permit’s issuance.
Completed work amid ongoing questions
Even before the permit was officially approved, the hotel’s exterior shows that construction was effectively completed. Photographs published locally suggest the work continued during the period the permit was in limbo. Sources in Paphos connect some of these irregularities to offices collaborating with the owner and note the possible involvement of an associate who also held a position in a planning authority. This individual reportedly played a role in a zoning change in the Polis Chrysochous municipality, which retroactively legitimized the construction of an unauthorized third floor.
The licensing authority in Paphos has not responded to inquiries, leaving unanswered questions about how such apparent violations were allowed to proceed and what role political influence and internal conflicts may have played in the permit’s eventual approval.
For critics, the Leonardo Club Latchi case has become emblematic of how rules can be bent for powerful interests and a cautionary tale about what could happen if oversight continues to fail.
