Hours after his wife’s arrest, arrested Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas on Friday evening allegedly confessed to bribery in connection with the coastal town’s sewage board scandal. Police sources also said the mayor implicated two current MPs and three municipal councilors, alleging that they also received kickbacks from contractors on the sewage project (SAPA).

On Friday morning, the case investigator confirmed before Paphos court that an arrest warrant for Sofia Vergas (pictured with Verga) was issued after Greek contractor Christos Drakopoulos claimed to have deposited €85,000 into her personal bank account upon the order of her husband. Vergas is also the Chairman of SAPA.

Along with Vergas, SAPA general manager Eftychios Malikides and former Disy municipal councillor George Michaelides face charges including fraud, bribery and abuse of power among other offences in connection with the case. The investigator added that police are also examining whether €5 million discovered in one of Vergas’ bank accounts and €2 million discovered in the bank account of Malikides are part of kickbacks the suspects received for arranging bogus sewage work contracts.

The court will decide on Friday whether to renew the remand of the three suspects who were placed in police custody last week. An investigation was launched a month after the authorities received information from concerned citizens about alleged wrongdoing involving millions of euros at SAPA Vergas who is at the centre of several other criminal investigations is set to stand trial with three other people on December 11 over his alleged involvement in death threats made in the Aristo land fraud investigation. Cyprus Weekly