22.9 C
Nicosia
Friday, March 29, 2024

Latest News

Powered by:

Hiring 19-year-old as Ministry advisor “illegal,” Audit Office says

Relevant News

The decision to appoint a 19-year-old without a university degree as an advisor to the Deputy Minister of Tourism is “blatantly illegal and abusive,” the Audit Office said on Monday.

Urging the Minister not to go ahead with the appointment, the Audit Office noted that if state funds are used for hiring the 19-year-old, it “will file a complaint with the independent anti-corruption authority for abuse of power.”

The Audit Office added that it will request details of all consultants hired by the president, ministers and deputy ministers, and would “publish as much information as possible” following instructions from the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection.

According to the current framework, government consultants should be at least 21 years old and hold a university degree.

Therefore, “hiring a person who is 19 years old and has no university degree as a consultant would be manifestly illegal and abusive,” the watchdog said.

Yesterday, philenews revealed that a 19-year-old student was appointed as an advisor to Deputy Minister of Tourism Costas Koumis, on an A8 salary scale which starts from €1,714 per month.

The revelation sparked outrage in social media and among parties of the opposition.

Follow in-cyprus on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.