CSO staffer took 55 trips in two years

A Cyprus Sports Organisation (CSO) employee took 55 trips abroad in two years and was absent 155 days, the House Watchdog Committee heard on Tuesday.

Chairman Giorgos Georgiou said the committee has been waiting since February for the CSO to submit the financial statement regarding the work trips in the past three years of board members and others working for the organisation.

MPs also heard that previous boards had afforded 14 of the 31 permanent staff their own personal pay scales and unions now rejected proposals for employment schemes.

This causes dysfunction and unfair treatment of other staff, the watchdog committee heard.

There was also the matter of contractors’ additional monetary demands stemming from bad planning and mismanagement. Previous boards carried out projects without proper planning and without the money being included in the budget.

The CSO is now being dragged in court costing taxpayers more money, Georgiou said.

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