Filenews 20 July 2022
The curtain fell today on the case of bribery of state officials and public officials, by the company Helector Cyprus Ltd., in relation to the construction and operation of the System for the Collection, Treatment and Landfill of Household Waste in the districts of Paphos (Paphos landfill) and Larnaca (Koshi Landfill), as the Supreme Court, with today's decision, rejected all the appeals registered by the convicted, both for their conviction and for the sentences imposed.
It is recalled that the Assize Court of Nicosia had sentenced Andreas Louroutziatis, then Mayor of Larnaca and Dimitris Patsalidis, Financial Director of the Municipality of Paphos, to 5 years in prison each, and to prison sentences of 3.5 years and 18 months respectively Georgios Koullapis and Michalis Pantis, Engineers at the Department of Town Planning and Housing. Helector Cyprus Ltd, the managing company of the above projects, was sentenced to a fine of €201,000.
The Supreme Court also upheld the appeal filed by the Attorney General of the Republic against the acquittal of Antonis Kourouzidis, who, at the time in question, was working as an Engineer at the Ministry of Interior, with responsibilities for that project. This person was found guilty of the charges he was facing and the Supreme Court set the case for sentencing, after a speech to mitigate the sentence, tomorrow, July 21, 2022.
In its multi-page, unanimous decision, the Supreme Court, upholding the sentences imposed by the Assize Court, adopts an excerpt of its previous decision in a case of decay and money laundering, where it is characteristically noted:
"The State entrusted the appellant with a high position, with the corresponding benefits that accompany it. However, when he took office as a servant and guardian of the interests of the State, he became involved in the vicious circle of corruption and, receiving large sums of money, he abused in the worst way his position [...] and the general trust of the citizen towards public figures, which he seriously affected. With these brief remarks, it seems obvious that in offences of this nature with public figures involved, the penalty to be imposed should be severe and strongly involve the element of deterrence.'
Helector Cyprus Ltd. had bribed the above persons, as well as other persons who had made an admission at first instance, with an amount exceeding €1 million. This case is the most serious bribery case that has preoccupied the Cypriot Judiciary.
On behalf of the Attorney General of the Republic, the case was handled by Mr. Ninos Kekkos, Senior Lawyer of the Republic.
