Newsroom
A dispute over building permits for an event hall in Lymbia has escalated into a political firestorm, with Anastasios Anastasiou, father of the hall’s owner, accusing AKEL lawmaker Christos Christofides of betrayal and tying the issue to alleged presidential interference.
In an interview on ALPHA News, Anastasiou claimed he helped elect Christofides by delivering 2,000 votes, only to be later targeted by him. “I got him elected... and he betrayed me,” he said, alleging Christofides filed complaints against the venue and threatened him during a phone call, saying, “The wheel turns, and I’ll deal with you.”
Anastasiou insisted the hall has all required permits and invited the Audit Office to review their issuance. He also addressed a reported reception for then-candidate Nikos Christodoulides, saying it was a grassroots gathering held in a café with no formal catering. “Would I have charged him just because ten of my friends came?” he said. “If there’s any intervention from the President, I’ll shut the hall down.”
Responding on the same program, Christofides denied personal involvement and said the issue centers on potential political collusion. “I don’t care about personal disputes, I care because the President of the Republic is involved,” he said.
Christofides alleged that Christodoulides’ campaign promised permits in exchange for support, a claim backed, he said, by an Audit Office report. He noted that after the new government took office, three planning permits were issued within one week, despite an earlier ruling that conditions had not been met.
The AKEL MP said the matter will go to Parliament and warned against targeting lawmakers who reference official findings. “When there are scandals and illegalities, I don’t care who’s behind them,” he said. “If there’s political collusion, yes, I care, because the President is directly involved.”
