A new scandal has been sparked following revelations that a beautician was hired as a secretary at the presidential palace after she had worked as a staffer for President Nikos Christodoulides’ election campaign.
This is what Philenews reported on Tuesday, adding that the new scandal echoes a similar earlier appointment of a 19-year-old non-university graduate as a consultant at the deputy ministry for tourism.
The employment of the beautician was confirmed by the Auditor-General’s office whose spokesman also said: “This latest news confirms that there exists abuse in the area of appointments.”
The spokesman reminded that the employment of people in the Presidential Palace and Ministries/Deputy Ministries applies only to consultant positions. For any other duties, only persons already working in the Civil Service should be used.
Referring to the latest news, Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides said “it turns out that we were right about our position that a legal framework for the employment of consultants should be put in place.”
The Audit Office will give the Government a fifteen-day leeway and will then conduct its audit of all cases of consultants/other positions in the Presidential Palace, ministries and deputy ministries.
The new case has provoked new reactions by opposition parties which demanding an explanation from the government.
