Tourism ministry permanent secretary suspended for three months

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Cyprus has placed the permanent secretary of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Neophytos Papadopoulos, on a three-month suspension. This decision follows a proposal by Deputy Tourism Minister Costas Koumis, who is initiating a disciplinary investigation against Papadopoulos for alleged negligence of duty. Papadopoulos, represented by lawyer Chris Triantafyllides, had filed an objection against the suspension, arguing that the procedural move was illegal and unconstitutional, particularly regarding the status of the deputy ministries. The conflict between the two officials reportedly stems from a disagreement in March concerning the assessment of the tourism situation following a drone attack near Akrotiri. While Koumis believed the incident triggered a tourism crisis, Papadopoulos held an opposing view. The defense team also claimed that the investigation into the permanent secretary is being handled by a senior state lawyer and may challenge the suspension in court. Meanwhile, government sources state that several attempts to reconcile the two officials failed, ultimately necessitating the disciplinary action.