Dialogos

Fifth Postponement in the Trial of Ayia Napa Mayor, Set for June 3, 2026

Published March 19, 2026, 12:03
Fifth Postponement in the Trial of Ayia Napa Mayor, Set for June 3, 2026

The trial of the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Christos Zannettou, has been postponed for the fifth time by the Permanent Criminal Court of Famagusta and is now scheduled for June 3, 2026. The case concerns charges of forgery, circulation of false documents, obtaining money through false pretenses, false reports by company officials, and money laundering, related to securing a grant for a hotel owned by the mayor using falsified financial statements. The charges were filed on July 12, 2024, after the municipal elections in which Mr. Zannettou was re-elected mayor. However, he continues to perform his duties while remaining accused. The case has been postponed five times, with previous start dates for the hearing being October 2024, February 2025, June 2025, and October 2025. Mr. Zannettou denies all charges. Specifically, he is accused of forging the financial statements of a hotel in 2007, which were submitted to the CTO in 2009 in order to secure a grant of €765,486. Money laundering carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years. The case concerns the securing of a European grant by a hotel owned by Mr. Zannettou. The postponement of the trial for such a long period raises questions about the transparency and efficiency of the judicial process.