Nicosia court finds former auditor Odysseas Michaelides guilty of defaming surgeon

The Nicosia District Court has upheld the lawsuit filed by a transplant doctor in 2015 against then Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides (now an MP and leader of the ALMA movement). The court found that the official’s public statements about the doctor’s allegedly excessive fees under a contract with the Health Ministry, which included accusations of profiteering and extortion, went beyond institutional criticism and damaged the plaintiff’s professional reputation.

Judge D. Constantinou rejected the defense’s arguments that the remarks were made in good faith and ordered Michaelides to pay the surgeon 15,000 euros in compensation for general damages, as well as cover court costs and interest. Michaelides himself disagreed with the ruling, saying on social media that he had acted solely within his constitutional powers to oversee public spending. Experts note that this precedent draws clear legal boundaries for public accusations by state officials against citizens.