The political scene is moving towards a direct confrontation ahead of the 24 May elections, with the leader of ALMA, Odysseas Michaelides, at the centre of intense political pressure due to two criminal cases under investigation against him. The cases concern the Pentakomo OEDA contract and the offence of perjury.
DIKO leader Nikolas Papadopoulos yesterday spoke of “double standards” on the part of ALMA, questioning why Odysseas Michaelides had not been excluded from the Movement’s ballot. He also recalled that ALMA had very recently taken a similar decision regarding former MEP Demetris Papadakis, excluding him from the ballot on the basis of references in messages linked to the notorious 'Sandy,' despite there being no evidence confirming their authenticity.
I will not withdraw
Odysseas Michaelides made it clear yesterday that he will not withdraw from the ALMA ballot, responding both to Demetris Papadakis and Nikolas Papadopoulos. Both had called on him to step aside from the electoral race until the two pending criminal cases against him are clarified. In effect, they are asking the ALMA leader to follow the same political practice adopted by the Movement on 6 April 2026, when its Executive Secretariat reversed an earlier decision of 20 January 2026 to include Demetris Papadakis on the ballot, pending clarification of the “Santi” messages case.
“To the great disappointment of Nikolas Papadopoulos, Annita Demetriou, Giorgos Savvides, Nicos Anastasiades, Nikos Christodoulides and the entire establishment, I will be the head of ALMA’s ballot in the Nicosia electoral district on 24 May. In the meantime, they may even consider initiating further criminal investigations against me,” Mr Michaelides told Politis.
The investigation into OEDA Pentakomo
Odysseas Michaelides is under criminal investigation in his capacity as former Auditor General of the Republic in relation to the public contract concerning OEDA Pentakomo. The multi‑page report of the Investigative Committee was forwarded to the Attorney General by the Ministry of Agriculture on 14 December 2023 and immediately assigned to officials of the Legal Service for evaluation.
One year later, following the completion of the review, it was forwarded to the police on 10 December 2024, with instructions to conduct a criminal investigation into possible offences arising from its findings. The criminal investigation is ongoing.
During yesterday’s televised debate on Omega TV between Odysseas Michaelides and Nikolas Papadopoulos, the latter referred to the Investigative Committee’s findings, stating that responsibility was attributed to Mr Michaelides for mismanagement in the Pentakomo OEDA case.
Responding, Mr Michaelides said he is aware of the investigation, noting, however, that he does not have the report in his possession. He also argued that the issue has only now resurfaced, despite the Legal Service having had the matter before it since 2023. He further referred to a previous process in 2018, claiming that an initial committee had cleared him, but that a new committee was subsequently appointed because, as he put it, “the result was not to the liking” of former President Nicos Anastasiades.
The perjury case
Andreas Hasapopoulos, a former close associate of Odysseas Michaelides at the Audit Office, appeared yesterday at police headquarters, where he gave a statement to investigators against him.
Mr Hasapopoulos accuses the ALMA leader of committing perjury before the Supreme Constitutional Council, which, as is known, unanimously decided to remove him from his post as Auditor General on grounds of inappropriate conduct.
Specifically, Mr Hasapopoulos challenged Mr Michaelides’ claim before the Council that he had “never declared or implied any form of support or relationship with the Facebook support group,” which was administered by Mr Hasapopoulos himself.
According to Mr Hasapopoulos, this statement is “completely false,” as he claims there was “direct and systematic communication” between them. He told investigators that Mr Michaelides had sent him prepared texts via WhatsApp for posting in the support group. He also stated his willingness to hand over the relevant messages, which he says confirm his allegations.
For his part, Odysseas Michaelides described the accusations as “old sour grapes,” arguing that they are repeated claims that have been made for months. He also described Andreas Hasapopoulos as unreliable, noting that he had recently been forced to issue a public apology to ALMA deputy leader Charidemos Tsoukas for false and defamatory social media posts.
Double standards?
Regarding the exclusion of Demetris Papadakis from the ALMA ballot due to his alleged involvement in the 'Sandy' case, DIKO leader Nikolas Papadopoulos again spoke of “double standards” on the part of Odysseas Michaelides, calling on him to apply the same practice to himself, given that he is under criminal investigation in two separate cases.
It is recalled that, in an announcement issued on 6 April 2026 by ALMA’s Executive Secretariat, which confirmed the reversal of the decision to include Demetris Papadakis on the ballot, the Movement stressed that it fully respects the presumption of innocence.
At the same time, it clarified that the matter was being treated as political rather than legal. The same statement underlined that what was at stake was not the presumption of innocence but the presumption of trust, which should govern the relationship between a movement and its candidates, noting that in such cases temporary distancing is internationally considered best practice until investigations are completed.
