Pop singer’s link to Vergas ‘unfortunate’

By Constantinos Psillides

GREEK pop singer Sakis Rouvas told media on Monday that there was nothing shady about his Paphos concert on August 8, adding that what followed the event “was unfortunate”.

The pop singer has found himself entangled in the many alleged scandals featuring Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas. The mayor is currently under investigation for allowing a tax exemption for the concert’s organisers, a company run by Constantinos Sifantos the husband of Vergas’ close associate Maria Solomonidou. The exemption was granted under the condition that the company would donate part of the proceeds to charity. No money has so far been given to charity while the documents relating to the concert has gone missing from the municipality’s archives.

During the course of the investigation police came across a contract allegedly signed by Vergas, which includes a fee of €100,000 to Rouvas from the company organising the concert, but it was never submitted to the municipality.

The pop singer – who visited a school in Limassol as part of an event to promote volunteerism event – didn’t try to avoid reporters but said that he didn’t wish to fan the flames by making detailed comments.

Asked on the sum he received as payment Rouvas said that the more he talked about the story the more energy it received.

“I believe the case is in good hands. When everything comes to light then we can talk about this more comfortably,” said Rouvas, adding that some people had taken advantage of his fame to serve their own purposes.

Shortly after the story broke, the pop singer’s manager issued a statement claiming that the artist’s payment for the concert was not €100,000 but €40,000.