Filenews 25 September 2025 - by Chrysanthos Manoli
Without the slightest inclination to use diplomatic language, DIKO MP Chrysis Pantelidis stated on Thursday morning in the Morning Itinerary of the Third that "corruption has a cost" and referred to "natural persons who ate money and gave the Vassiliko terminal to the Chinese consortium".
Answering questions by Eleni Vretou about the letter of the European mechanism CINEA requesting the return of the European sponsorship given for the Vasilikos terminal, Mr. Pantelidis said, among many other things, that today we are paying the cost of corruption, as some ate money and gave the project to the Chinese.
He looks forward to the criminal investigation carried out by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, pointing out, however, that the letter of CINEA the day before yesterday, concerning the award of the project to the consortium of the Chinese, "also gives rise to criminal responsibilities".
Mr. Pantelidis specifically said: "Let me say something to the listeners: Corruption has a cost. Real costs and energy costs. In 2019, specific political figures, persons who participated in or supported the Anastasiades Government, decided to give the project to the Chinese. This decision was condemned by the financiers and yesterday in the clearest way they told us "we want our money back".
Mr. Pantelidis was asked if "was it a wrong decision or, as you baptized it, corruption?" and he replied: "Look, either they will tell us that those who made the decisions were stupid, or it was corruption. I'm waiting for someone to come out and say "yes, we're idiots", which I don't think, otherwise it's corruption. To speak in simple language, so that people understand us. Some individuals ate money, and gave the project to the Chinese, and this corruption is paid for today by the Cypriot State. It's that simple. Every time Mr. Hatzigiannis and those who supported these decisions a few years ago are surprised, they should not be surprised. That's the cost when corrupt people make decisions based on personal interests."
When the journalist pointed out that those responsible for bad decisions "have names", the DIKO MP replied: "They are the ones who made the decisions. Ministers of Energy, members of the board of directors of ETYFA, DEFA and so on. They are there recorded. This problem they caused, with these decisions, is difficult to solve. And this is what this government is trying to do. If I blame this governance for something - and I use the word in quotation marks - it is because he did not say from the first day, when he took over, how problematic that decision was then. He did not say from day one what the Europeans say today."
He then agreed that we must wait for the conclusion of the European Public Prosecutor's Office to open Pandora's box, with evidence. But he said that yesterday's letter already gives rise to criminal responsibilities.
