The cuckoo nightingale will cost taxpayers to terminate the Paphos-Polis road contract, regardless of who was responsible for the shipwreck, given that the completion of Phase A is estimated at €90 million. compared to €72,9 which was the terminated contract. Taking into account that the contractor has already been paid approximately €14.4 million. Then the amount rises to approximately €104.4 million.

If you do not take into account the cost of all phases (from Agia Marinouda to Polis Chrysochous), then the cost will jump to about €10 million per kilometer.

Former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides expressed the view that the contractor's demands at first sight seem unrealistic, but at the same time expressed fears that the handling by Public Works did not shield the Republic of Cyprus and ultimately the taxpayers will be called upon to pay the bill.

It is noted that the contractor is seeking damages of €35 million. The very idea that it may collect even part of the claims is frightening, in the sense that this money will be in addition to €90 million. which will cost the completion of Phase A'.

At the same time, it is noted that the state will submit counterclaims and for taxpayers it will be considered a happy event if the state instead of paying compensation has to receive. Of course, this will become apparent in the long run, taking into account that claims of this type have been pending before the Court for several years.

The issue of bail will also take time, given that whether it will be confiscated by the state will also be decided by the judiciary. However, at this stage the State has not been able to obtain confiscation of the security deposit submitted by the contractor, since it was considered that the employer was obliged, under the contract, to inform the construction company of the intention to terminate the contract, which it did not do.

Regarding the total cost of the project (from Paphos to Polis Chrysochous), the Minister of Transport, Mr. Alexis Vafeadis, estimates that it will be around €320 million. If we take into account that the road will be about 31 km long, then its cost will jump to about €10 million. per kilometer. The first phase, and without taking into account any compensation to the contractor, It will cost around €7 million. per kilometer.

For his part, former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides, expressed the opinion that the cost will be much higher.

The former Auditor General considers that the responsibility for the non-seizure of the guarantee lies with the Legal Service, which was the consultant of Public Works in the relevant operations.

Odysseas Michaelides also argued that as planned the road will turn into a killing, as he characteristically said.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Transport, Mr. Alexis Vafeadis, expressed the government's intention to convert the road into a four-lane motorway.

He also said that procedures have been initiated with a view to having a contractor next September to implement the project. As he explained, by February 2026 the next phase will be offered on the section Polis Chrysochous-Stroumbi and one year later the project from Stroumbi to Paphos will proceed.

He also said that at the same time there is an intention to connect Mesogi with entry and exit to Marathounta as well, in order to benefit the whole region.

He also said that new and easy access will be created for all Cypriots to Polis Chrysochous, which will allow the economic development of the area and the fight against urbanization.

Asked whether the Republic of Cyprus lost or gained from the termination of the contract, he said that the termination of any project constitutes a setback. However, he added, in some cases the termination is imperative in order to be able to move forward, otherwise you will constantly go backwards or stagnate.

Vafeadis: "We haven't lost any money"

It further stated that the value of the work carried out by the contractor was around €16 million. and the Government has paid 90% of this amount.

"Therefore," he said, "based on these data, one can easily see that we have not lost any money."

Mr. Vafeadis also said that before the Audit Committee, the Department of Public Works described in detail the events that have taken place until the termination of this contract, telling the whole truth.

On the issue of guarantees, he said that the Legal Service had the opportunity to present the handling before the court, expressing its satisfaction with the handling.

Odysseas Michaelides stated that "the issue is to ensure that the contractor, in the scenario, which seems to be the most likely, is the culprit in this case, so that he cannot invoke our management weaknesses in order to be relieved of his own responsibilities. This is what is needed to protect the interests of the Cypriot taxpayer, he added.

He also referred to the Judge's decision on the issue of bail and to omissions by pointing fingers at the Legal Service. As he said, the contractor was not informed before the seizure of his guarantee was attempted, while he also referred to a one-day delay in submitting the claim for the guarantee, which gave the company the opportunity on Friday, November 15, to secure the interim order, something it could not do if the claim was submitted on time.

"These issues unfortunately also arose following the opinion of the Legal Service and this may explain why in a letter she had tried to essentially threaten MPs that they would risk criminal prosecution if they discussed the issue in a session," he said.

Briefing of the Audit Committee

The President of the parliamentary control committee, Zacharias Koulias, said that the Committee was thoroughly informed about the progress of the project by the competent Ministry and the Department of Public Works.

He also said that €16 million has been spent on the construction of the road so far, while 10% of the amount has been withheld, ensuring that no money was given unnecessarily.

However, he expressed reservations about the design of the project, noting that it is not the most appropriate. "If we can't build it whole, let's do one piece and build the rest when we can, but it has to be a safe road," he said.

MP Alekos Tryfonidis said assurances were given about the suitability and experience of the engineers involved in the project, noting that all this will be judged in court.

He also said that the DIPA supports the Minister, the Public Works officers, as well as all those involved, calling on them to proceed legally and quickly with the procedures so that Pafos can be connected to Polis Chrysochous and the communities of the region with a four-way road, which, above all, will ensure the safety of drivers and will contribute to the development of the region in all areas.