A meeting was held on Friday at the offices of the Paphos District Local Government Organisation to coordinate the next steps for enforcing an order banning the use of the Ermeion apartment building, which has been deemed unsafe for occupation. The building, located at the junction of Nikolaou Ellina and Thermopylon streets in Paphos, has been declared unsuitable and dangerous for use by residents.
According to the president of the Paphos District Local Government Organisation, Charalambos Pittokopitis, representatives of the Paphos Police Directorate, Paphos Municipality and officials from the organisation’s licensing department attended the meeting, which began at 8:30am and lasted around an hour and a half. The Welfare Office and Civil Defence had also been invited but were unable to attend.
Pittokopitis said the aim was to discuss the legal and practical steps needed to implement the order issued by the organisation’s licensing officer. He said the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Chief of Police had already been informed in writing about the decision. However, on May 19, the organisation received a response from the Paphos Police Director stating that a court order may also be required before police assistance can be provided.
The issue was therefore discussed in an effort to clarify the legal framework. According to Pittokopitis, the organisation’s legal advisers maintain that the order issued by the licensing officer is sufficient and allows police to assist without the need for an additional court order. A representative of the Paphos Police Directorate undertook to examine that position, with a response expected within the next two to three days.
At the same time, the organisation has received a letter from the building’s administrators stating that steps have already been set in motion and that repair works to remove the danger may begin either later on Friday or on Saturday. The organisation has also been informed that some tenants have already left the building. A team from the Paphos District Local Government Organisation was expected to inspect the site on Friday to assess the current condition of the building, determine how many residents remain inside and establish whether repair works by the owners have begun.
Pittokopitis said the only pending issue concerns the position of the police, which is expected to be clarified in the coming days. Asked whether there are similar cases in Paphos, he said there are another two to three apartment blocks in a dangerous condition. The Welfare Office and Civil Defence are also examining the possibility of finding temporary accommodation for tenants of apartment blocks that may need to be evacuated as part of safety measures.
