An extraordinary public mixed session of the Municipal Council was held in the meeting room of the Town Hall, both in person and via teleconference, today, the 21st of January 2026, Wednesday, starting at 19:00, for briefing and decision-making on the attached agenda item:
- Support for the local community, labor, and justice in light of a recent arrest of a fellow citizen.
In the Mayor Ioannis Mastrokoukos’ introduction, it was revealed that the “fellow citizen” referred to in the agenda item, who was arrested, is none other than Ioannis Halikos, a diaspora businessman from Australia and a major benefactor of our island. The reason for the arrest was a violation of the permitted hours for playing music at a food and beverage establishment owned by Mr. Halikos. According to the Mayor, the arrest deeply shocked Mr. Halikos, leading him to decide to shut down his hotel businesses on the island.
A unanimous decision was made to thoroughly investigate the case, assign responsibility where due, express moral support to the affected individual, and highlight the economic damage the island will suffer, including the fact that approximately 150 employees will lose their jobs. Several municipal councilors directly urged Mr. Halikos to reconsider his decision.
From the Opposition, the absence of Dimitris Diakomichalis’ and Ioannis Galouzis’ municipal parties was notable. Giorgos Mavros described the session as a “farce” and accused the Majority of bearing responsibility for the incident. He also stated that this session exposes Mr. Halikos. Sakellaris Choulis expressed his disapproval of the topic discussed, believing it to be a political maneuver. Mr. Choulis abstained from the vote, while Mr. Mavros’ party left the session after their statements.
📺 Watch the live broadcast of the session here:
YouTube Live Stream
