What Incompetence! Corruption and probably cover-ups, backhanders and a bureaucratic nightmare with everyone passing the decision-making process down the line.
The facts are simple: Do we live in a land governed by Rule of Law or not? If not, then obviously: Where there is no Justice there exists no Crime and all illegalities are justified under the Rule of the Jungle.
But if we are supposed to live in country governed by Rule of Law then this controversial project built in Latchi by the Leonardo Israeli consortium, it should have never been allowed to start in the first place. It abused every building and planning regulation and continues to play ignorant but also shows no respect of the authorities or the Republic of Cyprus.
The Paphos Provincial Government Organization (EOA) has filed a lawsuit to stop the illegal construction, while the Planning Authority has asked the courts to issue a demolition order for the unauthorized structure. That’s a joke! No illegal structures in Cyprus are demolished and cunning developers know that!
Meanwhile an incompetent Environmental Department has failed miserably by “approving” this massive Israeli hotel/apartment complex of 20 buildings in a delicate environmental zone and for certain is to accept the blame for starting this mess. But in Cyprus no incompetent institution has ever been prosecuted for wrongdoings but is protected by the system, as long as the public pays for their ineptitude!
Latchi will never be the same again because of Corruption; all I can say: “Thank you Mr Phedon Phedonos-Mayor of Paphos” for speaking out to protect beautiful Latchi. Meanwhile, no other politician or MP has publicly taken a stand on the issue! Silence is bliss!
But it’s too late now: too many barracudas within the system are ready to dance on the grave of Latchi in the name of greed and corruption.
About the author
I am in Latchi a few days per week every week for a few years now and it makes me sick to see this, “Project”. This monstrosity overlooks most of Latchi and is a blight on the entire village. A large Michael’s Metals” fence, huge piles of rock and dirt and site that is all too common here in Cyprus, unfinished construction.
Dare I ask, how and why are there projects, big and small, that are not approved by all facets of the permitting process allowed to get this far?
The author says the EOA has filed a lawsuit to stop construction and the planning authority has asked the court for a demolition order (right, like that will ever happen) but then in the picture caption it say a permit for tourism accommodations was approved Dec. 19, 2023. Was this only the EPA permit that was issued? If so, the EPA here is a joke.
Were there proper permits issued to build this or not.
David, you can read about permits, etc at Paphos EOA demands demolition of illegal Latchi tourist complex.
According to that report: “Soon after receiving approval for the tourist apartments, the owner submitted a new application for a hotel, a water park, and additional floors. While this application was still pending, work began on a third floor, directly violating the initial permit. The Planning Authority issued two termination notices—one before the first permit was granted and another in May 2024—but both were ignored.”