Official denies forcing workmen to moonlight

THE CHIEF foreman of the Famagusta District Office forced his subordinates to work for nothing on his Aradippou home, a court heard yesterday.

District Office building inspector Loukas Ilia, 33, told the Famagusta District court that his superior, 53-year-old Costas Demetriou, threatened to take away his work vehicle if he did not join his colleagues moonlighting on Demetriou’s home outside Larnaca.

The court, convening in Larnaca, heard that Demetriou had repeatedly used his subordinates in this way between late 1997 and October 1998. Demetriou has been on suspension ever since his alleged abuse of authority came to light a year ago.

He denies any wrongdoing.

The former director of the Water Development department, Christodoulos Christodoulou, recently served a short prison sentence after being found guilty of similar charges to those Demetriou is now on trial for. Christodoulou was jailed for using departmental employees and machinery to do work on his out-of-town mansion.

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