Controversy over reallocation of luxury police vehicles in Cyprus

Five Mercedes E 450d vehicles, originally purchased for approximately 87,000 euros each to support the 2026 Cypriot EU council presidency, have been reassigned for the use of high-ranking police officials. The vehicles, which possess high-performance specifications including 375 horsepower and rapid acceleration capabilities, were provided to Deputy Police Chief Panikos Stavrou and his deputies Marios Agiotis, Michalis Katsounotos, Yiannakis Georgiou, and Ioannis Mavrochannas. Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis reportedly opted to retain his existing vehicle instead of accepting one of the new models.

This decision has prompted a formal complaint to the Audit Office, raising significant concerns regarding the transparency of the reallocation and the efficiency of public spending. Critics within the force argue that vehicles with such specialized, high-performance specifications might have been better suited for operational duties or security escorts rather than routine transportation. While regulations allow police leadership access to official vehicles for professional duties, the assignment has sparked internal debate regarding the appropriateness of utilizing such expensive state assets for the everyday transport of top-ranking officers.