Payments made by Cyprus' Anti-Corruption Authority to private investigators examining major corruption allegations totalled more than €1.2 million for four key investigators alone, according to official data released by the Treasury.
The disclosures, published as part of government spending records for 2025, reveal the fees paid to nine inspection officers whose findings paved the way for criminal investigations involving former and current public officials, including former President Nicos Anastasiades, former EDEK leader Marinos Sizopoulos, former Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis and Nicosia EOA director Constantinos Parmaklis.
The most expensive investigation by far was the probe linked to the book Mafia State, which lasted two-and-a-half years and is estimated to have cost close to €2 million by the time all 2026 expenses are published.
‘Mafia State’ investigation
The highest payments were made to the four inspection officers appointed to investigate allegations contained in the book Mafia State.
Australian lawyer Gabrielle McIntyre, who headed the investigative team, received €445,721 in total. Her remuneration amounted to €259,857 in 2024 and €185,864 in 2025 for the period from 1 January to 1 May.
From May 2025 until the submission of the final report in June 2026, McIntyre worked without remuneration after taking up a position at the International Criminal Court. Conditions attached to her appointment required that she not receive payment from the Anti-Corruption Authority and that work on the investigation be carried out outside her official working hours.
Had she continued to be paid throughout 2025, her remuneration would have approached €500,000, with additional costs incurred during 2026.
Lawyer Charilaos Chrysanthou received a total of €269,579, including €115,142 in 2024 and €154,437 in 2025.
Lawyer Orestis Nikitas received €250,098, comprising €116,595 in 2024 and €133,503 in 2025.
Lawyer Andreas Efthymiou received €228,457, with €90,765 paid in 2024 and €137,692 in 2025.
The figures do not include payments for services provided during 2026, which will be disclosed next year.
Based on the investigators' report, which was adopted by the Anti-Corruption Authority, the Council of Ministers appointed four criminal investigators to examine possible corruption offences involving former President Nicos Anastasiades, Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, former Nicosia District Court president Haris Solomidou, the law firm Andreas Neocleous & Co, lawyer Panayiotis Neocleous, former deputy attorney-general Rikkos Erotokritou, former senior police officer Ioannis Sotiriades and communications consultant Andreas Hadjikyriacos.
‘The Land of Dreams’ case
The Anti-Corruption Authority appointed a single inspection officer to investigate allegations linked to the illegal development known as The Land of Dreams in Trimiklini.
Former District Court president Nicos Yiapanas received €61,920 for the assignment, including €21,461 in 2024 and €40,459 in 2025.
The development included unauthorised fish-farming facilities for caviar production, leisure facilities and accommodation units operating for years without the required permits. Investigators also found that the development was drawing water from the Kouris River.
Based on Yiapanas' findings, a criminal investigation is under way involving former Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis and former Environment Department director Costas Hadjipanayiotou and former Fisheries Department director Loizos Loizides.
Parmaklis investigation
Current Nicosia EOA director Constantinos Parmaklis was investigated over actions taken during his earlier tenure as director of the Nicosia Water Board.
The allegations concerned four tenders for which the organisation's financial director claimed irregularities had occurred.
In one tender involving the supply and installation of shading systems, the contract was awarded to a company whose director is the first cousin of Parmaklis' wife. According to the findings, Parmaklis should have disclosed the relationship and recused himself from the process.
The authority paid two inspection officers to conduct the investigation.
Lawyer Anna Christou received €56,277, consisting of €33,441 in 2024 and €22,836 in 2025.
Lawyer Demetris Kailis received €48,524, including €26,876 in 2024 and €21,648 in 2025.
A criminal investigation was subsequently ordered and has recently been completed. The case file has been forwarded to the Law Office, which will decide whether criminal prosecutions are justified.
Sizopoulos case
Based on findings by the Anti-Corruption Authority, MP and former EDEK president Marinos Sizopoulos became the subject of a criminal investigation for alleged fraud, forgery, circulation of forged documents and conspiracy to defraud.
The case concerns the sale of a company in which Sizopoulos was a director and shareholder alongside others.
According to the authority's findings, the company was sold for €2.025 million. However, a forged contract allegedly stated that the sale price was €1.6 million, with the aim, according to the report, of misleading state authorities and a bank holding a non-performing loan linked to the company.
Former Family Court president Sotiris Liasidis received €25,327 for his investigative work, comprising €8,859 in 2024 and €16,468 in 2025.
Lawyer Nicolas P. Constantinou received €24,320, including €6,894 in 2024 and €17,426 in 2025.
The case file has been forwarded to the Law Office to determine whether criminal charges should be brought.
