French and Cypriot police carried out a joint operation in Limassol last week as part of an Interpol investigation, making several arrests on the basis of warrants issued by the Limassol District Court.
According to Politis sources, the complaints concern money laundering and online investment fraud targeting French nationals. The scams are believed to have netted around €700 million, operating through call centres based mainly in Limassol.
Several Russian and Israeli nationals were reportedly among those arrested, along with Cypriot associates. Through these call centres, individuals across Europe, particularly in France, were persuaded to invest in schemes promising high returns. Victims, many of them pensioners, received small “profits” at first, before the scammers vanished, taking down websites, changing addresses and numbers, and moving on to new targets.
In the case of France, they may have gone a step too far - prompting a steady flow of French lawyers and police to Cyprus until the case was finally built.
The end of the ‘five-star’ prison era
The murder of Stavros Demosthenous and its connection to the Central Prisons appears to have ended the five-star privileges enjoyed by some inmates. Following initial raids and arrests, several suspects have now been effectively isolated. No phones, no text messages via warders. Shock, apparently, has set in.
It seems the days of luxury conditions and Netflix documentaries may be over, and hopefully not just for show. In recent years, the prisons had turned into safe hubs for gangsters, complete with certified alibis for their outside operations.
The ALMA effect
On Politis 107.6 FM, journalist Katerina Iliadi asked Odyseas Michailides whether it was politically appropriate for the new ALMA Movement to announce candidates before publishing its policy positions.
Michailides, who has yet to morph into the kind of smooth-talking politician who lies effortlessly, replied that the team is still drafting its programme.
Dear Odyseas, the truth might be a little different. ALMA looks increasingly like a one-man show, drawing a following of well-meaning citizens convinced you’ll save Cyprus from corruption. Polls suggest the movement could even enter Parliament as a fourth party, reaching 10%.
That kind of momentum inevitably attracts a few eccentrics. Those who failed elsewhere and now fancy a parliamentary seat. Should the Fidias Party take shape, however, expect that flow of hopefuls to split in two.
DISY’s conservative turn
The Democratic Rally (DISY) is signalling a conservative pivot, clearly aimed at halting voter defections to the far right. But this raises a question: can DISY retain its numbers by stopping the flow to ELAM without alienating its liberal supporters?
Party leader Annita Demetriou has long been courting veteran associations. Recently, she intervened to prevent construction on the site surrounding Grivas’s tomb in Limassol, discussing the issue directly with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.
At the same time, MEP Loucas Hadjipantela pushed through a European Parliament resolution for a memorial honouring Greek Cypriot victims and missing persons of the 1974 invasion. A move that could have united all Cypriots had it been framed inclusively. But this time, the intent appears narrowly political.
And then came the cherry on the cake: MP Nikos Tornaritis, chair of the House Legal Affairs Committee, tabled a bill requiring the deportation of all migrants who break Cypriot law. Safely populist, since equality among Cypriots has rarely been a legislative priority.
Mitsotakis at the Clerides Memorial
During today’s memorial for Glafcos Clerides, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was expected to make remarks touching on the long-standing debate over the Cyprus problem. Remarks that will, implicitly or otherwise, nod to Clerides’s own approach.
His presence also serves as a quiet show of support for the Democratic Rally and Annita Demetriou’s leadership.
One question remains: will President Nikos Christodoulides attend? According to sources, the memorial for his late father is also taking place today in Paphos. In any case, the two leaders met yesterday in Giza, Egypt, during the inauguration of the city’s new museum.
Prison phone signal blockers - again
We’ve heard it before. But this time, they say it’s happening. A new mobile signal-blocking system for the Central Prisons is reportedly being rolled out in two phases: the first in November, the second in early 2026.
The issue has been around for over a decade, with no effective system ever installed. Former prison administrations share much of the blame, often citing “data protection” or “disruption to nearby residents” as excuses to avoid cooperation with state technical services.
This suspiciously convenient attitude allowed mobile phones to circulate freely behind bars, enabling not only communication, but also orders and arson attacks on court registries in Nicosia and Limassol, aimed at destroying legal files.
Holy wars and hoodies
In a video posted on Instagram - hooded, naturally - Dimitris Baros announced his parliamentary candidacy with Feidias Panayiotou’s Direct Democracy party.
“Not all thieves wear masks,” he declared. “Some wear suits and run the country. I’ve returned to Cyprus to fight light against darkness, truth against lies.”
That’s all very cinematic, Dimitris, but who exactly voted for you? Is the app ready yet? Perhaps it doesn’t matter. His key qualification, he says, is being God-fearing, since that makes him immune to bribery.
As pious as he may be, we’d still recommend a visit to a local monastery for reflection. There he might learn that in Cyprus, taking a little something on the side isn’t frowned upon, it’s practically a national pastime. For more advanced training, he could have spent a week at Avvakoum Monastery with Archimandrite Nektarios had he not been defrocked.
The Public Service Commission blame game
“Blame us, not the President,” said the Public Service Commission chief this week over the latest round of senior promotions.
It seems the Commission believes we’re gullible. History, however, keeps repeating itself. Members of the Commission tend to play the good soldiers, hoping for reappointment, only to be replaced by the usual relatives and reliable friends.
The current members, it seems, will simply be left with the stain.