The leader of the Alma party Odysseas Michaelides and an MP candidate for Disy got into a fiery tussle over the weekend, with the former accusing the latter of leeching off of the Vasiliko LNG affair.

The scrap spun off from a recent report by news outlet Offsite, which published official correspondence purportedly revealing that – despite claims to the contrary – Michaelides as then auditor-general was very much part of the process that eventually led to the awarding of the LNG terminal contract to the Chinese consortium.

The Chinese contractor walked out in July 2024, leaving the LNG project half-finished and in limbo. The state now faces the Chinese contractor in arbitration proceedings in a London court.

Reacting to the media reports, over the weekend Michaelides – who in September 2024 was sacked as auditor-general – came out guns blazing against the previous administration of Nicos Anastasiades.

Railing against the “corrupt establishment”, Michaelides said that under his watch the Audit Office had explicitly warned against awarding the contract to the Chinese consortium in 2019.

He also referenced the meeting at the presidential palace in November 2019, when then-president Anastasiades overrode objections to the Chinese landing the contract.

Posting on social media, Michaelides blasted then-finance minister Harris Georgiades and then-energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis for insisting on giving the contract to the Chinese consortium.

But he also pointed the finger at the legal consultants of Defa – the Natural Gas Public Company and owners of the LNG project. Specifically, Michaelides mentioned the involvement of Pamboridis’ law firm.

“No doubt the lawyers will gain from the arbitration, with Giorgos Pamboridis top of the list, whose fees exceed €2 million…” Michaelides wrote.

“The big losers will be the public, who got stuck with a €1 billion price tag and who pay for expensive electricity. Instead of apologising, the corrupt establishment has the nerve to point the finger at others. What shame!”

Evidently Michaelides was insinuating that his political adversaries were behind the Offsite report.

Hitting back hard, Pamboridis – now running for MP on the Disy ticket – lambasted Michaelides for cheap mudslinging amid the election campaign.

A lawyer by trade, Pamboridis is a partner in the Pamboridis LLC law firm.

He confirmed his law firm represents Cyprus in the arbitration proceedings in London, and also corroborated the amount in legal fees cited by Michaelides.

Obviously the law firm would not work for free, Pamboridis quipped.

“Indeed, since 2022 when we undertook this case, I as well as at least nine other lawyers from our office dedicated countless hours to do our duty,” he wrote on X.

“All the amounts in question are for work performed, and taxable. If these amounts are irrational or high, just ask your own lawyers to tell you how much it costs to go to arbitration in London.”

In March 2025, the state disclosed to parliament the legal expenses in connection to the Vasiliko project.

Specifically for the arbitration, the state had up until the end of January 2025 paid Pamboridis LLC (and associated consultants) the sum of €4.7 million.

The state also paid out €2.1 million to Yendall Hunter Ltd; €426,000 to Rendel Ltd; €69,000 to DAC Consulting Services; €60,000 to DLA Piper Hong Kong; and €52,000 to Bosco Xavier.