D.I.S.Y Deputy Chairman Averoff Neophytou said yesterday the party’s Political Bureau would next week examine allegations of abuse of power levelled against DISY Paralimni Mayor Nicos Vlittis.
According to reports in Politis, Vlittis used his influence to hasten the issuing of building permits for coastal property developments by companies belonging to members of his family.
The paper claims that just a few months before it was decided that the approval of development projects in Paralimni would be switched from the municipality to the Town Planning Department, close relatives of the mayor purchased plots of land at the Kapparis area – which for years had been left undeveloped because the municipality would not provide road access – and were issued building permits and a road network by the municipality in record time.
The move meant the owners could suddenly build hundreds of houses in the area, sending the value of their investment in the area soaring.
The paper claims that the persons involved in the preparation of architectural plans, the approval of the licences and the construction and sale of the houses are Vlittis’ two sons, his son-in-law, in-laws as well as one of his son’s partners.
The allegations prompted DISY deputy Christos Pourgourides to demand Vlittis’ resignation and have caused a rift in the municipality, with some members saying the claims are an organised plot against the mayor, and others asking that the municipality be purged of anyone involved in a scandal.
Speaking after a DISY Central Committee meeting to discuss the issue, Neophytou said the party would be “relentless against any cases of corruption and abuse of power,” adding the case would be looked into next week.
He said an investigation by the Auditor-general into the allegations, as well as any other evidence into the case, would also be examined.
But Vlittis yesterday again denied all allegations against him and accused Pourgourides of fighting him for the last three years. Vlittis said Pourgourides was fooling people about the stock exchange and demanded that he resign instead for not fulfilling his duties in DISY.
“The mayor of Paralimni has nothing to fear,” he said.
“Mr Pourgourides comes out and accuses the mayor and his family of becoming rich from abuse of power. I am sorry, but Pourgourides is using his position at the House Committee for revenge, and he has shown this with his stance against our municipality and especially on the issue of the ambelopoulia,” Vlittis added.
“He is the most hated deputy in the Famagusta area, so he shouldn’t pretend he is infallible and that everyone else makes mistakes.
“He should resign, DISY has not made any decisions and Mr Pourgourides is not the person to judge me.”
But Pourgourides yesterday insisted that Vlittis should resign on principle.
“Mr Vlittis should have resigned after the reports in Politis, because of evidence that shows his involvement,” he said.
“The evidence speaks for itself, so it’s not a matter of carrying out a judicial inquiry or a police investigation to prove what he has done.
“I haven’t heard Vlittis come our and prove what was said against him was wrong.”
