Allegations of corruption in the Cypriot public service recruitment process

Member of Parliament Zacharias Koulias has raised serious allegations regarding a recruitment scandal within the Cypriot public administration. During a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs held on November 12, 2026, Koulias claimed that 160 positions were filled by the Administration Department without the mandatory written examinations, despite an initial plan to hire a much smaller number of staff. Among these hires, he highlighted 20 positions at the A13 salary scale and seven at the A15 scale.

Koulias alleged that the appointees are political favorites who have been placed in privileged central positions and are now refusing to transfer to district administrations, where they are required to serve. This situation has reportedly led to significant operational issues in provincial offices, where experienced staff were moved to other departments without adequate replacements. According to the MP, these new appointees lack the necessary experience, which typically takes two to three years to acquire. The committee discussed these personnel movements amid concerns that the quality of public service in the districts is declining due to this loss of expertise and the lack of transparency in the hiring process.