A former minister who served in the Christodoulides government failed to declare €2.4 million in assets, Disy MP Demetris Demetriou confirmed on Monday.

Demetriou, a member of the special parliamentary committee mandating public officials to declare their wealth and income (pothen esches), told Alpha TV that the undeclared amount concerns bank deposits in Cyprus and abroad, as well as a property overseas.

The sum was uncovered during an audit carried out after the former minister left office, under legislation that placed responsibility for reviewing declarations with the tax department for the first time.

“Previously, no audit was carried out at all,” Demetriou said, remarking that under the old system “everyone declared whatever they wanted.”

According to Demetriou, there is no question of unjust enrichment, since the audit found the money had been in the former minister’s possession before his appointment in 2023.

The issue is that it was not included in his pothen esches (wealth) declarations for that year.

Following the tax commissioner’s intervention, the former minister submitted updated declarations for both 2023 and 2026.

The tax department informed the parliamentary committee of the case in a confidential letter dated July 23, Demetriou said.

The committee met last Thursday to examine the matter and decided to request an opinion on whether the former minister may have committed a criminal offence.

Demetriou said he disagreed with that approach, arguing the case should instead be forwarded directly to Attorney General George Savvides.

The committee, chaired by House President Annita Demetriou, also includes Akel MP Giorgos Loukaides, Elam MP Linos Papayiannis and Diko MP Panikos Leonidou.

Under current rules the committee must inform Savvides so that possible criminal prosecution can be examined, since failing to declare assets under the new law constitutes a criminal offence.

The former minister has not been named at the time of publishing but Politis said the individual’s identity would be made public once their own explanation for having omitted such assets is received.

It has also emerged that the former minister voluntarily submitted an updated declaration in April, after the tax department informed him that his bank accounts had not been included in his original 2023 filing, prompting a corresponding update to that year’s declaration as well.