Newsroom
A police patrol remained stationed outside Paphos Municipal Hall throughout the night as authorities moved forward with investigations involving Paphos Mayor Phaedon Phaedonos, who has been placed on leave, the Interior Ministry announced.
The decision takes effect today and will remain in place until the investigations are completed and the cases under examination are adjudicated.
On Wednesday afternoon, Phaedonos went to Paphos Municipal Hall to collect his personal belongings. A discreet police presence was visible outside the building during his visit, though no incidents were reported.
Following the developments, Deputy Mayor Angelos Onisiforou has taken over the duties of mayor. In a statement, Onisiforou sought to reassure residents that the municipality remains fully operational.
“The Municipality of Paphos continues and will continue to function normally, without any problems whatsoever,” he said, stressing that serving citizens remains the top priority of the municipal authority.
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, who was abroad at the time of the decision, was expected to return on Wednesday evening and approve the official notice on Thursday. The notice is set to be published in an extraordinary edition of the Official Gazette of the Republic, a step required for the suspension to formally take effect.
Meanwhile, police investigations into the complaints against the Paphos mayor are continuing.
Police Headquarters spokesman Vyronas Vyronas said that statements have already been taken and that an investigative team has been set up to examine the material before it.
“The data we have is being evaluated,” Vyronas said, adding that the investigative team will determine the next steps in the case.
Authorities have not provided a timeline for the completion of the investigation.
