UCy defends software purchase

The Council of the University of Cyprus (UCy) on Thursday defended its purchase of software licenses, after accusations that it may have squandered public funds.

In a statement, UCy’s Council said the procedures followed to purchase licenses for the Oracle software system were above board.

It added that the university had nothing to hide, as it has supplied all information relating to this matter to the auditor-general, in two letters sent on July 11 and August 31.

Earlier this week, the law firm formerly representing the university accused UCy rector Constantinos Christofides of ignoring their advice not to renew a contract for using Oracle software.

The law firm claimed the terms of the new contract were worse than that of the initial contract.

Responding, the rector suggested that the law firm was making the allegations because the university terminated its cooperation with them in 2015 and switched to another firm.

He also said the accusations may be politically driven, given that the previous law firm has affiliations with the Akel party, which is now attacking Christofides, whom rumour has it may run for president next year.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.