The defendants in the ‘golden passports’ case requested a trial within a trial on Tuesday, arguing that a great deal of the evidence to be presented by state prosecutors was irregularly obtained by police during investigations.

On trial at Nicosia criminal court are ten defendants: former transport minister Marios Demetriades, Andreas Demetriades, Demetris Demetriades, Giorgos Demetriades, Eleni Simillidi, Jing Wang, Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and Andreas Demetriades & Co LLC and Delsk Business Services Ltd.

The charges involve corruption, bribery, conspiracy to defraud and money laundering related to the naturalisation of 19 Asian investors, in the context of the now-defunct citizenship-by-investment scheme.

All defendants deny the charges.

In court on Tuesday, defence attorney Elias Stefanou requested a trial within a trial due to objections over the manner in which evidence was obtained against the accused.

He was referring to three warrants issued to search the premises of the Demetriades family law firm. According to Stefanou, the issues at stake are violations of attorney-client privilege, violation of the privacy of communications, exceeding the scope of the warrants, and relevance of the material seized.

The seized material includes electronic communications, a hard disk, computer towers, storage devices, mobile phones and paper files.

Stefanou said the defence had asked prosecutors to specify the material they intend to present in court.

A trial within a trial would determine which evidence would be admissible for the trial proper.

Countering, lead prosecutor Charis Karaolidou said they had already informed the defence of the evidentiary items they would not be presenting in court.

She said the defence needs to spell out precisely which material it objects to.

Hearing both sides, the court granted the defence time until November 16 – the next scheduled hearing – to present its objections in detail.

Tuesday’s proceedings also saw the first prosecution witness – a CID officer – continue testifying. The officer is the case evidence custodian.

To date, 105 items of evidence have been submitted in court – documents pertaining to naturalisations granted to individuals from Cambodia and China.

Former minister Demetriades is specifically charged with intervening in citizenship applications handled by his father’s and brothers’ law firm. The second charge involves “accepting gifts as a public official” related to a Chinese investor’s naturalisation. The third charge alleges bribery of a public official, citing Demetriades’ active participation in cabinet decisions.

Meanwhile defendants Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and Delsk Ltd face charges of influence peddling.

This is one of four court cases filed in relation to the ‘golden passports’ scheme.

The most prominent one, involving former House president Demetris Syllouris and former Akel MP Christakis Giovani, resulted in acquittals in February this year.

The final price tag for the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) remains an unknown, while the project is now estimated to come online a year later than initially forecast, the energy regulator said on Tuesday.

Head of the energy regulatory authority (Cera) Polis Lemonaris was giving MPs a status update on the GSI – a planned subsea electricity cable linking Cyprus’ grid to that of Greece.

He said the final cost of the GSI cannot yet be “safety estimated” – but added that judging by other interconnectors, the €1.9 billion cited does not seem realistic.

Moreover, in the event that seabed surveys – still ongoing – show a need to reroute the subsea cable, the cost would likely go up.

But going with the standard €1.9 billion number, the official explained the cost distribution for Cyprus and Greece, currently set at 63 per cent to 37 per cent, respectively. Minus the €657 million in EU grants, Cyprus’ share of the cost comes to €749 million, and Greece’s to €440 million.

In addition, the contracting parties bear the operating costs equally; these come to €2 million annually up until the project’s completion, and then €15.5 million per year during actual operation.

As part of the incentives agreed, Lemonaris said, Cyprus will pay €25 million per year for the 2025-2029 period, with a maximum payment of €125 million.

Cyprus has yet to pay Admie the first €25 million installment.

In 2025, Admie – Greece’s independent power transmission operator and project promoter for the GSI – made a filing claiming it had incurred €302 million in expenditures.

Having reviewed the documentation, however, Cera concluded instead that expenses were €82 million up until that time.

The two countries have also agreed on a guaranteed rate of return on investment of 8.3 per cent for the project manager. This rate applies for seven years, later dropping to 4.6 per cent for the next 17 years.

On the actual work done, Lemonaris said that so far 280km of cable has been laid on the seabed, out of the total distance of 900km between the two points in Crete and Cyprus.

Meanwhile, another 232km of cable has been manufactured but yet not laid.

And 60 per cent of the necessary seabed surveys have been completed; the remaining 40 per cent would take about six months.

The seabed surveys are included in the approved capital expenditures budgeted for the 2024-2025 period, which altogether tally at €571 million.

Elsewhere in his presentation, Lemonaris said that the original target of January 2030 set for the project’s completion now looks like January 2031, according to fresh estimates.

MPs wanted to know the status of ownership and control in the project following the acquisition by Meridiam – a French infrastructure investment firm – of 66 per cent of the shares in the holding company based in Greece. Admie retains a 33 per cent strategic minority stake.

Based on their most recent information, Lemonaris said, the ownership and management permits still appear to be held by Admie, which also remains the project promoter.

However, Cera is awaiting an update from Admie regarding ownership and management following Meridiam’s entry into the project.

Cera formally requested the update in August; it has yet to receive a response.

Regarding the cash value of the 66 per cent shares acquired by Meridiam, Lemonaris said this is also an unknown.

Last month President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus would release the first €25 million contribution towards the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) once a Navtex is issued for the resumption of seabed surveys.

Energy Minister Michael Damianos said the Navtex would be issued by Greek authorities by the end of this month.

European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday offered “solidarity” to both Greece and Cyprus after the Libyan parliament had earlier in the day ratified a maritime boundary agreement with Turkey which both Greece and the Republic of Cyprus consider to be illegal.

“We deeply regret the ratification today by the Libyan parliament of the so-called Libyan-Turkey memorandum of understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea. We recall that the EU’s position on this matter was clearly stated by the European Council in 2019 and remains unchanged,” they said.

They added that the agreement “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states”, “does not comply with the law of the sea”, and “is null and void”.

“We reaffirm our solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. We reiterate the EU’s well-known position against any outside interference in Libya,” they said.

The European Council’s conclusions on December 12, 2019, had stated similarly that the agreement “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the law of the sea, and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states”.

Libya’s parliament voted unanimously to adopt agreement

Earlier on Tuesday, the Libyan parliament voted unanimously to adopt the agreement, which states that Libya and Turkey agree that their respective exclusive economic zones share a border in the Mediterranean sea, and that that border is located southeast of the Greek island of Crete.

The ratification came on a day on which a day on which Turkey’s national intelligence organisation (Mit)’s chief Ibrahim Kalin was in the country to meet Libya’s government of national unity’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe.

Turkey had signed an agreement with the Libyan government of national accord in 2019, but it had not until Tuesday been ratified by Libya’s legislature. The government of national unity superseded the government of national accord in 2021 and is now the sole internationally recognised government of Libya.

After the agreement was signed, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis held a telephone call, after which both ministries released condemnatory statements.

“The Republic of Cyprus’ foreign ministry condemns the Libyan parliament’s decision to approve the illegal Turkish-Libyan ‘memorandum of understanding’ of 2019. This ‘memorandum’ violates the sovereign rights of third states and is contrary to the recognised principles of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea,” the Cypriot ministry said.

It added that the agreement also violates “customary international law regarding the rights of islands in maritime zones, including the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf”.

“Therefore, the foreign ministry continues to consider the said ‘memorandum’ illegal, null and void, and that it does not produce, in any way, legal effects against third states,” it said.

Turkey is not an Unclos signatory, Libya signed but did not ratify

Greece’s foreign ministry said that that it “rejects” it and that the decision “does not change the illegal, null and void nature of the memorandum, which is contrary to the international law of the sea and violates the sovereign rights of the states of the region”.

“Geography and the international law of the sea do not change with unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions. Turkey and Libya do not have opposing or adjacent coasts which would provide a legal basis for the attempted delimitation of maritime zones,” it added.

While Greece and the Republic of Cyprus are signatories to the United Nations convention on the law of the sea (Unclos), Turkey is not, and while Libya under its then leader Muammar Gadaffi signed the convention in 1984, no Libyan legislature ever ratified the signature.

Turkey’s belief is that the convention gives too much weight to islands, which it says should instead only be allowed 12 nautical miles of territorial waters as their own exclusive economic zone (EEZ), whereas Greece believes that its islands are entitled to full EEZs of their own.

As such, Turkey’s view is that its own EEZ stretches south to meet Libya’s EEZ, and as of Wednesday, Libya agrees, whereas Greece’s position is that Turkey and Libya do not share a maritime border because the sea in question belongs to Crete.

Given this to be the case, Turkey’s presidential press office director Burhanettin Duran described Tuesday’s vote as “an important advancement towards protecting the shared rights and interests of both nations in the eastern Mediterranean, establishing maritime jurisdiction areas on the basis of equity, and strengthening regional cooperation”.

“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey will continue to safeguard its rights and interests within the Blue Homeland, while further developing its relations with friendly and brotherly Libya and promoting equitable resource sharing, peace, and stability in the eastern Mediterranean”.

Cypriot members of the European Parliament on Tuesday evening stressed the importance of building up the Mediterranean region’s energy sector as the Strasbourg plenary session discussed the parliament’s latest motion regarding the European Union’s pact for the Mediterranean.

The resolution, which will be voted upon on Wednesday, sets out the European Parliament’s position on the pact and relations between the EU and the Mediterranean region, and Diko’s Costas Mavrides was keen to stress that the EU “has the potential” to “lead the entire Mediterranean toward stability and prosperity” through its energy sector.

“The common rules for the Mediterranean are, naturally, those of international law, specifically including UN conventions regarding the law of the sea. Institutions and infrastructure already exist … such as the EastMed gas forum, the European project of common interest the Great Sea Interconnector, and the EastMed gas pipeline,” he said.

On this front, he said that the Republic of Cyprus has “consistently been playing a leading role”, but that “the neo-Ottoman regime in Turkey remains the transgressor and the expansionist”.

As such, he sarcastically asked European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who was present for proceedings, whether she is “rewarding this transgressor and expansionist”, or whether she is “bestowing gifts upon it”.

Geadi highlights resolution’s GSI amendment

Elam’s Geadis Geadi, meanwhile, called for a new pact which “must serve as an essential tool for cooperation, focusing on energy security, electrical interconnections, addressing illegal migration and human smuggling, and combating terrorism and hybrid threats”.

“However, cooperation in the Mediterranean must be grounded in international law, rather than in unilateral claims or provocations,” he said.

At this point, he offered his thanks to “colleagues from across the political spectrum” who supported an amendment to the motion which, he said, “underscores the importance of European projects of common interest, such as the Great Sea Interconnector and the EastMed pipeline”.

He added that the amendment also “simultaneously condemned Turkish provocations which hinder their implementation”.

Then, he, too, offered a shot at Kallas, saying that “the Mediterranean cannot be allowed to fall victim to Turkish blackmail directed against European interests, and Ms Kallas, it is your responsibility to move from words to action”.

Two amendments on Cyprus to be tabled on Wednesday

The amendment to which he was referring is his own, which was co-signed by fellow Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou, as well as high-profile right-wing Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou, among others.

It states that the parliament “underlines the importance of EU projects of common interest, including the Great Sea Interconnector and the EastMed pipeline, for the EU’s energy security and autonomy and the diversification of its energy supplies”.

Additionally, it states that it “condemns Turkey’s interference in energy infrastructure projects in the eastern Mediterranean and calls for these projects to be able to proceed without obstruction”.

The amendment was one of two to be tabled which mention Cyprus, with Latinopoulou having tabled her own amendment, which was co-signed by Geadi.

It states that “Turkey’s ongoing provocations against Greece and Cyprus, including repeated violations of their sovereign rights in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, its continued threat of a casus belli against Greece, the so-called Blue Homeland doctrine, and the continued occupation of part of the territory of an EU member state, fundamentally undermine regional stability and any credible Euro-Mediterranean cooperation”.

Georgiou calls for ‘different approach’ to Mediterranean

Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou, meanwhile, took a different angle in Tuesday’s debate, saying that “the Mediterranean is a region of immense potential, yet one marked by profound contradictions, wars, inequalities, the plight of refugees, and environmental threats”.

“A pact for the Mediterranean could represent a genuine opportunity for peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity, but not if it is treated merely as a tool to expand the European Union’s geopolitical influence, nor if security, militarisation, and the control of migration are prioritised over the needs of people,” he said.

He said that the European Parliament’s “The Left” grouping, on whose behalf he was speaking, has “advocated for a different approach … one centred on people, social justice, labour rights, and environmental approach”.

This approach, he said, “ensures the meaningful participation of societies, is backed by adequate funding, and respects both state sovereignty and international law”, before he pivoted to the matter of international politics.

“We cannot invoke international law while simultaneously accepting that it be selectively applied, as is the case regarding Cyprus and Palestine. The Mediterranean does not need new geopolitical rivalries, it needs solidarity, cooperation, dialogue, and peace. This is the Mediterranean we must strive to build,” he said.

Cyprus’ foreign ministry on Friday declared the maritime boundary agreement signed by the governments of Turkey and Libya to be both “illegal” and “null and void” after it was ratified by the Libyan parliament earlier in the day.

“The Republic of Cyprus’ foreign ministry condemns the Libyan parliament’s decision to approve the illegal Turkish-Libyan ‘memorandum of understanding’ of 2019. This ‘memorandum’ violates the sovereign rights of third states and is contrary to the recognised principles of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea,” it said.

It added that the agreement also violates “customary international law regarding the rights of islands in maritime zones, including the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf”.

“Therefore, the foreign ministry continues to consider the said ‘memorandum’ illegal, null and void, and that it does not produce, in any way, legal effects against third states,” it said.

The Libyan parliament’s spokesman Abdullah Bliheg had said earlier in the day that the legislature had “voted unanimously” to adopt the agreement, on a day on which Turkey’s national intelligence organisation (Mit)’s chief Ibrahim Kalin was in the country to meet Libya’s government of national unity’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe.

Turkey had signed an agreement with the Libyan government of national accord in 2019, but it had not until Tuesday been ratified by Libya’s legislature. The government of national unity superseded the government of national accord in 2021 and is now the sole internationally recognised government of Libya.

Turkey and Libya officially agree that their EEZs share a border

As a result of the agreement, Libya and Turkey agree that their respective exclusive economic zones share a border in the Mediterranean sea, and that that border is located southeast of the Greek island of Crete.

Greece, too, reacted furiously to the Libyan parliament’s approval of the deal, with the country’s foreign ministry that it “rejects” it and that the decision “does not change the illegal, null and void nature of the memorandum, which is contrary to the international law of the sea and violates the sovereign rights of the states of the region”.

“Geography and the international law of the sea do not change with unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions. Turkey and Libya do not have opposing or adjacent coasts which would provide a legal basis for the attempted delimitation of maritime zones,” it added.

It then said that the agreement “also disregards the Greek islands and their rights to maritime zones based on [the United Nations convention on the law of the sea] Unclos and customary international law”.

“Having already concluded maritime delimitation agreements with Egypt and Italy, in accordance with the international law of the sea, Greece has demonstrated its respect for international law and the sovereign rights of neighbouring states. We call on the Libyan side to refrain from any action which is contrary to international law and undermines stability in the eastern Mediterranean,” it said.

It added that it has “already informed its partners and allies” and that it will “take all appropriate action to safeguard its sovereign rights”.

Turkey is not an Unclos signatory, Libya signed but did not ratify

In this, the country’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis had earlier held a telephone call with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos shortly after the Libyan parliament voted on the matter.

While Greece and the Republic of Cyprus are signatories to Unclos, Turkey is not, and while Libya under its then leader Muammar Gadaffi signed the convention in 1984, no Libyan legislature ever ratified the signature.

Turkey’s belief is that the convention gives too much weight to islands, which it says should instead only be allowed 12 nautical miles of territorial waters as their own exclusive economic zone (EEZ), whereas Greece believes that its islands are entitled to full EEZs of their own.

As such, Turkey’s view is that its own EEZ stretches south to meet Libya’s EEZ, and as of Wednesday, Libya agrees, whereas Greece’s position is that Turkey and Libya do not share a maritime border because the sea in question belongs to Crete.

Given this to be the case, Turkey’s presidential press office director Burhanettin Duran described Tuesday’s vote as “an important advancement towards protecting the shared rights and interests of both nations in the eastern Mediterranean, establishing maritime jurisdiction areas on the basis of equity, and strengthening regional cooperation”.

“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey will continue to safeguard its rights and interests within the Blue Homeland, while further developing its relations with friendly and brotherly Libya and promoting equitable resource sharing, peace, and stability in the eastern Mediterranean”.

Cypriot member of the European Parliament Michalis Hadjipantela on Tuesday presented the parliament’s budget committee (Budg)’s plans for the European Union’s general budget for next year, which reverses all the cuts which had been made to it by the Council of the EU when it agreed its own position in July.

The budget foresees that the EU will make €194 billion worth of commitments and €203.3bn worth of actual payments over the course of the year, with the committee’s position therefore including more spending not only than the Council’s , but also than the European Commission’s position.

This is because the committee had voted to approve €1.17bn of extra spending next year compared to the commission’s position, including €260.5 million for the Connecting Europe facility, the EU’s funding instrument for infrastructure investment, and the instrument through which the EU offered grants for the Great Sea Interconnector.

Other increases include an extra €85m for the European agriculture guarantee fund, through which the EU pays farmers directly, and a €20m increase for support for young farmers.

Additionally, increases in funding amounting to €140m have been granted for the EU’s neighbourhood policy, through which the EU offers funding and partnerships for countries in eastern Europe and north Africa.

Hadjipantela, who belongs to Disy, said of his plans that “at a time when the European Union faces growing security challenges, we must ensure that our institutions possess he necessary means to carry out their mission effectively and independently”.

‘European taxpayers expect us to manage public funds responsibly’

“Let me be clear: budgetary discipline is non-negotiable. European taxpayers expect us to manage public funds responsibly and to remain efficient, while avoiding unnecessary expenditure,” he said.

On this front, he said that “all institutions must identify opportunities for savings and improve the way they operate”, and that the European Parliament itself “is called upon to continue improving how it manages and spends its budget”.

However, he stressed, “efficiency cannot simply mean making cuts without regard for the responsibilities which our institutions are required to fulfil”.

“We must avoid a situation where cuts create operational problems or, worse still, lead to higher costs in the future. The goal is to strike the right balance,” he said.

He stressed that the Budg committee’s position “has focused on specific, well-substantiated operational needs”, and stressed that “we have advocated for retaining essential resources where justified while maintaining a disciplined and proportionate approach to expenditure”.

To this end, he said that the EU’s various institutions “have already made significant efforts to improve their efficiency and save resources”, and hat “these efforts must continue, and should be accompanied by a realistic assessment of the tasks and obligations incumbent upon each institution”.

MEPs to vote on Wednesday

His co-rapporteur, Latvia’s Nils Usakovs, meanwhile, said that the committee had “put partisan politics aside and adopted a focused budgetary resolution … in order to shore up parliament’s unity for the negotiations to come”.

“Parliament proposes to restore all Council cuts – €1bn in commitments and over €500m in payments, and add €1.17bn to the draft budget. Behind every budget line we vote on tomorrow are real people and their needs,” he said.

MEPs will vote on the parliament’s position on Wednesday. If they approve the position set out by Hadjipantela and Usakovs, the “conciliation committee” of the parliament and the Council will convene on November 3 with the aim of reaching a compromise by November 16.

Should a provisional agreement be reached by that date, the joint text will then be voted on both at the Council and at the parliament for final approval.

Larnaca municipality is using drones to enhance mosquito controls, enabling precise spraying in areas difficult to access with traditional methods, officials said on Tuesday.

The public health service conducted a targeted aerial spraying operation at a site identified as a potential mosquitoes breeding ground on Friday.

The municipality intends to persist with this technology, targeting other hard-to-reach locations within Larnaca and its districts that need similar measures.

The use of drones is expected to strengthen efforts to control mosquitoes populations, including the Aedes aegypti species.

The municipality said it was focusing on prevention, early intervention and systematic monitoring.

Drones have already been used in Nicosia for fighting mosquitoes.

Cyprus has ranked among the European Union’s two fastest-growing economies for three consecutive years, according to revised national accounts figures released on Tuesday, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday.

The revised data show economic growth of 6 per cent in 2023, up from the previous estimate of 3.6 per cent, while growth for 2024 was revised upwards from 3.9 per cent to 6.6 per cent.

For 2025, the growth rate was revised from 3.8 per cent to 4.8 per cent, placing Cyprus second among the EU’s 27 member states, according to the government.

By comparison, the EU economy grew by 1.4 per cent in 2025 and the eurozone by 1.2 per cent, meaning Cyprus expanded at more than three times the EU average.

Letymbiotis said Cyprus ranked first in the EU in 2024 and second in both 2023 and 2025, despite successive international economic and geopolitical challenges.

He attributed the performance to an expanding productive base, increased investment, the attraction of new business activities and continued confidence among international investors.

“These developments highlight the resilience, dynamism and significant prospects of our economy,” he said in a written statement.

The spokesman added that stronger economic growth had improved the country’s fiscal position, strengthened public debt indicators and increased the government’s capacity to support society.

He also pointed to a 15 per cent increase in median earnings, arguing that the benefits of economic growth were being reflected in household incomes and employment opportunities.

“The real value of growth is to create more wealth, better wages, greater economic security and more opportunities for citizens,” he said.

Letymbiotis said the government intended to use the economy’s performance to strengthen disposable incomes, support families, reinforce the welfare state and improve opportunities for younger generations.

“Our goal is to turn this momentum into even greater progress and prosperity for society as a whole,” he said, adding that the government would continue pursuing its economic objectives through fiscal responsibility and long-term planning.

Disy MP George Pamboridis declared net assets of €3.37 million, the highest individual total among MPs in the latest asset declarations published by the House on Tuesday.

The annual declarations (pothen esches) for 2026 were published under legislation introduced in 2024 that gives the tax commissioner powers to audit MPs’ financial statements.

However, 12 MPs, including House President Annita Demetriou and Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos, have declarations updated only to 2024, while Diko MP Chrysanthos Savvides’ filing covers the period up to last year.

Pamboridis, a lawyer who served as health minister from 2015 to 2018, declared family net assets of €5.29 million.

His statement lists €2.79 million associated with shareholdings in four companies, including €1.98 million tied to a 20 per cent stake in Vorando Holding Ltd.

Assets including two Porsches

He also declared deposits of €376,207, vehicles worth €231,500, including two Porsches, and other assets valued at €510,000.

His 26 property entries have a combined current value of €419,000. Most of the land was received through parental inheritance and declared at zero cost.

Papadopoulos ranks next, with net assets of about €1.91 million, excluding shareholdings for which no value was provided.

His declaration lists 11 property entries with a combined current value of about €1.94 million. Six are half-shares in Nicosia offices worth €449,000 in total, all donated by his father, former president Tassos Papadopoulos, between 1993 and 2005.

His four residential properties, acquired through purchases or exchanges in 2007, are worth about €1.42 million. Three are in Strovolos, including two half-shares valued at about €240,000 each and a property in full ownership worth €478,800. All three are mortgaged. The fourth is a half-share in a home in Ayios Andreas valued at about €461,500.

Diko MP Christiana Erotokritou declared individual net assets of €1.26 million, compared with €12.44 million for her family, the largest gap between personal and family totals among the MPs covered.

She reported €316,900 in salary income and €352,980 in dividends. Her property entries total €387,500, while jewellery and paintings were valued at €120,000.

Alma and Elam MPs

Alma MP Irene Charalambides reported individual net assets of €569,292 and family assets of €597,960.

Her declaration lists deposits of €166,969 and valuables and paintings worth €82,000. She also reported €160,100 in parliamentary salary over the period covered, while her spouse received €67,700 in pension income.

The statement records €20,000 in donations and uses a restated comparison base for the previous declaration.

Elam MP Marios Pelekanos declared net assets of €417,198, rising to €1.07 million at family level.

His statement includes a plot and house in Livadia, Larnaca, bought in 2009 for €293,965, as well as more than a dozen shares in land in Meniko received as a donation.

Akel MP Christos Christofides declared €184,801 in his own name and €798,471 for his family.

Disy MP Demetris Demetriou reported individual net assets of €149,666 and family assets of €759,922, up from €638,438 in his previous declaration.

His 21 property entries, consisting mostly of plots and fields in the Geri area received from his father, were declared at zero cost.

His income included €104,522 listed as an inheritance from his father. Family income totalled €377,362, while expenses came to €255,878, including €83,102 in living costs, €20,000 in travel expenses and €6,000 in donations.

Akel MP Ephraim Christou declared net assets of €7,010, largely reflecting an Audi A3 Sportback valued at €7,000 that he acquired through purchase and gift. His deposits stood at €10.

Three MPs reported negative net assets. Akel MP Argentoulla Ioannou declared minus €254,735 after listing a liability of €359,754 payable to Argentoulla Ioannou DEPE, a local company bearing her name.

Elam MP Linos Hadjigeorgiou declared minus €47,727, with loans of €48,268 against deposits of €541.

Fellow Elam MP Andreas Papacharalambous reported minus €19,984 in his own name and minus €66,476 at family level. His declaration lists a €57,907 Eurobank loan against deposits of €4,923.

Averof Neophytou’s declaration dates to 2024

Former Disy leader Averof Neophytou declared net assets of €5.08 million in a filing that dates from 2024. He is not a serving MP and is therefore separate from the ranking of current parliamentarians.

His property alone was valued at about €5.61 million, including a share of plots in Polis Chrysochous valued at €3,567,800.

Neophytou declared annual parliamentary income of €166,452 in 2023, €178,141 in 2022 and €155,395 in 2021.

In September 2023, he also received a lump-sum payment of €65,743 from Polis Chrysochous municipality relating to his time as mayor.

Akel secretary general Stefanos Stefanou declared individual net assets of €116,488, rising to €266,834 with his family.

His family income totalled €400,889, including €197,808 in salary for himself, €32,300 in pension income, €16,154 in travel allowance and €153,977 in salary for his spouse.

Expenses totalled €330,547, including €51,400 in political party contributions, €36,650 in donations to children and €15,000 for a child’s wedding.