Contractor Miltiades Neophytou on Monday withdraw a €22m lawsuit against former president Demetris Christofias for money spent on a football club and for work he carried out on two properties.
Neophytou, the plaintiff, filed the motion to withdraw in a meeting held in the private chambers of the judge. The motion was read in the presence of Christofias and his lawyers; Neophytou himself was not present.
In a statement distributed to reporters, the contractor said he regretted the whole affair.
Neophytou said his testimony and remarks during the course of the trial were being misconstrued – perhaps deliberately – by third parties to “deal a blow to the character, personality, political stature and ethos of Demetris Christofias and of his political party, Akel.”
The statement added: “This has profoundly aggrieved me. I feel the need to express my respect toward his person [Christofias], his ethos and all that he stands for.
“Therefore after much consideration and upon mature reflection, I have decided that pursuing this case further would be to the benefit neither of society at large nor of the involved parties.”
Later, the two sides offered contradictory accounts as to how the lawsuit’s withdrawal came about.
Whereas Christofias’ attorney insisted it was not part of an out-of-court settlement, the plaintiff’s lawyer described the whole case as a “misunderstanding” and a “private dispute which has been resolved”.
Pressed as to whether something was given to the plaintiff in return for withdrawing the lawsuit, Neophytou’s lawyer responded with a “no comment”.
Speaking briefly with journalists, Christofias said he felt vindicated.
The case against Christofias had been filed in October 2013. The closing arguments were heard on October 20 of last year, and the court’s judgement was imminent.
Neophytou’s move to withdraw comes just days ahead of the presidential elections.
Neophytou had sued Christofias, formerly a close personal friend, for close to €22m for money he spent on the Omonia football club and for work the contractor did on two properties.
During the trial, the plaintiff claimed he had been asked by Christofias to take over Omonia – a popular football club with close ties to Akel, the party led by Christofias until he became president in 2008 – and spend ‘whatever it takes’ so that Christofias could reap the political benefits and seek re-election in 2013, promising to reimburse any expenditure through the party.
Neophytou served as Omonia’s president from 2008 to 2012.
The plaintiff also claimed Christofias owed him hundreds of thousands of euros for renovation work done on his residence in Nicosia and his holiday home in Kellaki.
While not denying that he owed Neophytou money for the construction work – but disputing the amounts, which he deemed ‘excessive’ – Christofias claimed he never asked anyone to take over Omonia. He also denied promising to repay Neophytou for any money he poured into the football club.
The case brought to light allegations that were highly embarrassing to Christofias and Akel. Among others, it was claimed that while he was president Christofias sought to re-zone a plot of land outside Nicosia, after which an Akel-linked company would sell the real estate at the higher price in order to pay off Omonia’s mounting debts.
Neophytou’s lawyer also told the court that, since the financial dispute broke out, some €8.5m had been returned to his client from “various sources”.
