Delays in criminal and disciplinary investigations, as well as lengthy court proceedings, are leaving public servants on suspension for years while continuing to receive part of their salaries, according to the Public Service Commission's (PSC) annual report for 2025.
One senior public servant in salary scale A14 has been receiving 75% of his salary for six-and-a-half years while remaining on suspension. Based on estimates, he has received approximately €280,000 during that period without carrying out his duties.
The case is not unique.
The issue is highlighted in the PSC's 2025 report, which was recently submitted to President Nikos Christodoulides. During the year, 18 public servants were placed on suspension.
Suspension cases
According to the report, the 18 officials were suspended due to disciplinary investigations, police investigations and/or criminal prosecutions.
A further three employees remained on suspension from decisions taken in 2024, while five others had been suspended from previous years.
For these eight officials, the PSC decided that suspension should remain in effect until the final conclusion of criminal cases pending against them. The oldest case dates back to April 2020.
During 2025, suspension orders were lifted for nine employees.
In some cases, investigations concluded without sufficient evidence for prosecution. In others, suspensions ended because of statutory time limits, termination of employment, or the conclusion of criminal proceedings and the employees' return to work.
When can a public servant be suspended?
The PSC has discretionary authority to suspend public servants when it considers such action necessary in the public interest and when disciplinary or police investigations are pending with a view to prosecution.
Officials may also be suspended if they have been declared bankrupt or are subject to a receiving order, provided the PSC considers that public interest concerns exist.
In deciding whether to impose suspension, the commission considers factors including:
- The nature of the alleged misconduct.
- The need to safeguard the integrity of the investigation.
- The risk of influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
- The consequences of allowing the employee to remain in their position.
How long can suspension last?
Suspension is not considered a disciplinary penalty but a preventive administrative measure.
At the investigation stage, it may not exceed three months, although it can be extended by a further three months if serious reasons exist.
However, when criminal or disciplinary proceedings are formally launched, suspension may continue until the final conclusion of the case, including appeals, if the PSC considers this necessary in the public interest.
This is where one of the system's main weaknesses emerges. When cases take years to conclude, a temporary administrative measure can remain in place for an exceptionally long period, creating a significant cost for the state.
Before a suspension decision is taken, the PSC must generally allow the employee an opportunity to be heard. In exceptional circumstances, suspension may be imposed immediately, with the employee entitled to submit written representations within four working days.
Record-long suspensions
One notable example is former Central Prisons Director Michalakis Hadjidemetriou, who remained suspended for approximately seven years.
He was suspended in December 2008 following the escape of convicted murderer Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, known as "Al Capone", from the Apollonio Private Hospital.
Five months later, a criminal case was filed against him. Three years afterwards, he was sentenced to two months' imprisonment.
His appeal against the conviction, filed in 2012, prolonged the process. The PSC eventually proceeded with his compulsory retirement almost four years later, after the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal.
Another high-profile case involved former Pharmaceutical Services Director Louis Panayi, who was suspended in 2005 and returned to duty in early 2014.
During that period, he received public-sector remuneration equivalent to eight years of work, estimated at more than €350,000.
After being acquitted in the pharmaceuticals scandal case, he received the remainder of his withheld salary retrospectively and was subsequently promoted to the position of ministry permanent secretary.
The two cases illustrate both the differing outcomes that can arise and the financial burden created when proceedings drag on for years.
Disciplinary cases still pending
During 2025, the PSC had 10 disciplinary cases before it.
Four had been carried over from previous years:
- One from 2022
- One from 2023
- Two from 2024
The remaining six cases were filed during 2025.
Of the 10 cases, five were completed during the year, while five remained pending.
The PSC also examined two cases involving officials who had already been convicted in criminal proceedings. One case was completed and a penalty imposed, while the other remained pending.
The commission does not have the authority to initiate disciplinary proceedings on its own and can only hear cases referred to it.
Disciplinary hearings are conducted in much the same way as criminal proceedings before a court.
Possible penalties
Penalties available to the PSC include:
- Reprimand
- Severe reprimand
- Disciplinary transfer
- Suspension or postponement of annual salary increments
- Financial penalties of up to three months' salary
- Demotion within the salary scale or to a lower position
- Compulsory retirement
- Dismissal
The report's five-year disciplinary record illustrates how such cases have been handled by the commission in recent years.
