Corruption authority recommends prosecution regarding state land transfers in Cyprus

The Independent Authority Against Corruption in Cyprus has recommended the criminal prosecution of former Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis concerning state land management decisions. The investigation centers on the 2013 transfer of state land in Ayia Napa to the Church of Cyprus as compensation for expropriated ecclesiastical land in Engomi. While the inter-ministerial committee valued the land at approximately 5.7 million euros plus 280,000 euros, internal data indicated the true value was roughly 10.6 million euros, resulting in a discrepancy of nearly 5 million euros. The inquiry stems from allegations made in the book 'State Mafia' by author Makarios Drousiotis, which links these transactions to the relationship between former President Nicos Anastasiades and the late Archbishop Chrysostomos II. Furthermore, the report examines a 2014 real estate transaction involving the wife of the former president, Andri Anastasiades, who purchased a residential plot in Germasogeia for 500,000 euros despite previous valuations of 870,000 euros. The investigation highlights potential abuses of power and financial irregularities in the management of public assets during that administration. The council of ministers approved the land exchange in October 2013 after the committee deemed the case exceptional.