Pafos municipality official reinstated after court rules dismissal illegal

The Administrative Court ruled in favor of Katia Konstantinidou, a senior official at the Pafos Municipality, declaring her dismissal on May 23, 2024, illegal. This marks the second time the court has overturned her dismissal, with the previous instance occurring in December 2022 due to irregular record-keeping practices. Judge Ariadni Zervou determined that the impartiality of the Municipal Council was compromised during the decision-making process. The court highlighted that the proceedings were affected by complaints Konstantinidou had filed against the suspended Mayor, Phedon Phedonos, regarding alleged physical violence, and against former municipal secretary Themis Filippidis. Consequently, Konstantinidou returned to her duties as of late October 2024. The municipality is now required to compensate her for 2.5 years of lost wages resulting from her unlawful terminations. The legal proceedings also scrutinized the role of the municipality's legal advisor, who served as a minute-taker, which the court found to be inconsistent with the Municipalities Law.