Newsroom
President Nikos Christodoulides has claimed that details of a planned €595,000 armored limousine were leaked to the press in an attempt to destroy him politically ahead of elections.
The accusation adds a new layer to a controversy that began last week, when it emerged that the state was preparing to order a new security vehicle for the president at a cost of nearly €600,000.
The request is due to go before the parliamentary Finance Committee behind closed doors Monday, with opposition parties demanding answers over both the price and the president’s handling of the issue.
Christodoulides said he only learned about the planned purchase from press reports, arguing that decisions involving presidential protection are made by the competent security services.
“No president should know about security matters” or how state services decide to protect the officeholder, he said.
He then turned his attention to how the information became public, alleging that someone in Parliament deliberately leaked it to cause him political damage. He said such tactics weaken public trust not only in the presidency but in the political system as a whole.
The president also said he would prefer to use his private vehicle during personal and family outings. Security officials, however, had previously objected, telling him that their responsibility was to protect the president of the Republic, not Nikos Christodoulides as a private citizen.
AKEL has questioned his claim that he knew nothing about the purchase, noting that it was approved by the Council of Ministers during a July 16 meeting chaired by Christodoulides.
The party also rejected the president’s allegation of a politically motivated leak, arguing that the request would have become public once it was submitted and sent to Parliament for approval.
EDEK official Sophocles Sophocleous described the proposed purchase as excessive and provocative at a time when households are struggling with the cost of living.
Few would dispute that the president requires proper protection or that some security information must remain confidential. But for the average Cypriot watching supermarket, fuel and electricity costs climb, €595,000 for one vehicle is difficult to dismiss as a minor budget detail.
Monday’s discussion may take place behind closed doors, but the political row surrounding the limousine is now firmly out in the open.
