Apostolos Tomaras
A stretch of land next to the Evrychou Gymnasium has effectively been turned into an illegal dumping ground for construction waste, according to a damning report by Cyprus’ auditor general.
The findings followed complaints that prompted an on-site inspection, which uncovered serious violations and a blatant disregard for the rules governing the management of construction waste. The report is backed by dozens of photographs showing piles of debris linked to the construction of the new Morphou Police Directorate building in Evrychou.
According to the Auditor General, the problem has been ongoing since 2020, the same year the project was officially handed over.
The complaint over what was described as an “unacceptable situation” lasting five years was filed with the Audit Office on January 30, 2023. It concerned the illegal dumping of rubble and other waste on nearby land during the construction of the new police building.
Delays and weak enforcement
In his report, the Auditor General notes “significant delays” in investigating the case by the competent authority, the Department of Environment.
The allegations had first been raised by the complainant as early as January 4, 2022. After the Audit Office began its own investigation on May 29, 2023, it requested information from the Department of Environment on June 2, 2023 regarding its actions and findings. That investigation was only completed on October 27, 2025.
In a recent update provided on the same date, as part of comments on the draft report, the Department of Environment said it had imposed a total fine of €2,000 on the contractor.
Buried next to a school
What inspectors uncovered was staggering: a massive volume of construction waste, rubble, plastics, cement, metal bars, wires, and other materials, buried right next to the schoolyard of the Evrychou Gymnasium.
The waste came from the construction of the Morphou Police Directorate building and should have been transported to licensed waste management facilities. Instead, it was buried in nearby fields. For years, the Public Works Department had insisted that the complaints reaching the Audit Office were unfounded.
The report reveals that the contractor buried the equivalent of 70 truckloads of rubble beside the school. According to the Auditor General, the dumping took place with the knowledge of the competent authorities, near both the police station and the Evrychou Gymnasium.
The amount of waste was such that it would have required 70 trucks to transport it legally to licensed facilities for the processing of excavation, construction, demolition, and green waste.
Government alarmed
The issue has now raised alarm at the government level. Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades has requested a detailed report of facts from the Public Works Department, which will also be forwarded to the police.
The minister has assured that responsibility will be assigned wherever it is found, a promise that comes after years of denial, delays,, and a school left sitting next to what amounted to a hidden landfill.
*Read the Greek version here.
