A small chapel has sprouted on state-owned, rocky terrain on a mountaintop in Kalo Chorio, Limassol, which was encroached upon by a private individual.
This individual reported to the relevant authorities that he had a vision calling him to build this particular church in the area.
Complaints forwarded to Phileleftheros reported an illegal church construction on rocky land in Kalo Chorio, Limassol.
According to the complaint, construction began unilaterally by a citizen who claimed to have seen in a dream the spot where he should build the church.
He decided to carry out illegal excavation and construction work on state-owned rocky land without obtaining any permits beforehand.
Related complaints were submitted to the competent services of the Ministry of Interior, such as the District Administration of Limassol, the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, the Department of Land Registry and Surveys, as well as the Wildlife and Game Service.
We contacted the Ministry of Interior for information on this case. After investigating the related complaint, the Director-General of the Ministry of Interior, ElÃkkos IlÃas, confirmed the complaint to Phileleftheros.
Subsequently, all services were informed to take necessary actions to rectify the illegality.
Furthermore, he stated that in June 2023, during an on-site inspection conducted by a team from the Wildlife and Game Service, an extrajudicial fine of €2,000 was issued due to habitat degradation and disturbance of wildlife, based on the provisions of the Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Game Law.
After the issuance of the extrajudicial fine, the citizen did not proceed with payment, resulting in a case being filed in court by the Wildlife and Game Service for habitat destruction, road opening, and construction of structures without a permit.
The case has not yet been adjudicated, and in case of conviction, a penalty of up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to €20,000, or both could be imposed.
However, as revealed in recent days, construction has resumed, leading to a new extrajudicial fine being issued by the Wildlife and Game Service.
Furthermore, the Director-General of the Ministry of Interior communicated with both the District Administration of Limassol and the Department of Land Registry and Surveys to take necessary actions to rectify the illegality.
An on-site inspector was expected to visit the area yesterday to take measures, based on Article 20 of the Roads and Buildings Regulation Law, for the demolition of the construction.
Regarding the Department of Land Registry and Surveys, since the illegal construction is on state-owned rocky land, they will file a relevant complaint to the Police.
The District Office of Limassol of the Department of Urban Planning and Housing will also be informed about the issue for further action, given that no urban planning permit has been granted.
The Director-General of the Ministry of Interior told “Φ” that everyone should understand that there is no tolerance for illegality.
