Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-12-03

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Thursday, December 3, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Police probe vicious double murder

[02] Clerides briefs party leaders on missiles

[03] EU aspirants to meet in Cyprus

[04] Rolandis sets ball rolling to replace Hilton board

[05] Man of 45 remanded in incest case

[06] Syrians held for alleged mutiny

[07] Deputies criticise overcrowding at Larnaca cells

[01] Police probe vicious double murder

POLICE launched a double-murder investigation last night following the discovery of the bodies of a young Asian couple - believed to have been beaten and strangled - in a remote, 100-metre-deep ravine in the Troodos mountains.

A tour bus guide on the Platres-Trooditissa road first spotted the corpse of a man with dark hair, wrapped in a blanket and tangled in bushes 10 metres down the ravine, and the body of a blonde-haired woman near the bottom of the drop.

"I found two bodies, of a young man and a young woman, who were of oriental appearance," forensic pathologist Marios Matsakis, who is also an MP, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

"They were definitely murdered somewhere else and then thrown down the ravine. It's a vicious crime," he said.

State Pathologist Sophocles Sophocleous concurred with Matsakis that the pair were probably slain elsewhere and hurled over the cliff.

CYBC and Antenna TV last night, without citing their sources, both reported that the couple had been strangled.

Antenna also reported that the pair had been beaten about the heads with a blunt instrument, and that there were signs the woman had been sexually abused.

Limassol police were unable to confirm these reports.

Matsakis and Sophocleous said evidence the couple had been murdered included the facts that their hands were tied behind their backs, and they had ended up some 30 metres apart, suggesting they were hurled over the cliff. Both men said the bodies had lain in the ravine for up to 48 hours.

Due to the steepness of the climb - a favourite spot for commando training - Matsakis had to abseil down to the bodies.

Police described the crime as "brutal". The crime-scene police investigation was called off as darkness fell, and was to re-start in earnest at daybreak today.

The body of the dead woman was spotted first from a tourist bus making its way to the nearby Trooditissa monastery at midday yesterday.

The couple appeared to be Asian and between 25 and 30 years of age, Limassol police said, adding that no people from China, Korea or other far- eastern counties had been reported missing to them, but that checks were being made with police departments in other cities to try to trace the victims.

At first it was thought the couple were the victims of a traffic accident, but when Limassol police found no signs of any crash or wrecked vehicle, their suspicions darkened.

Police said they believed the couple had been wrapped in the single blanket found at the scene and dumped from the top of the road, the woman's body rolling towards the bottom, the man's remaining in the blanket found tangled in the bush.

Limassol police said there had been no arrests in connection with the deaths, and that they had neither suspects, leads, nor knew the identities or nationalities of the deceased.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

[02] Clerides briefs party leaders on missiles

POLITICAL leaders were yesterday briefed by President Glafcos Clerides on developments in the controversial S-300 missiles issue.

The briefing comes in the wake of Friday's key Athens meeting between President Clerides and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, at which it emerged that Greece had urged Cyprus to accept deployment of the missiles in Crete, a compromise which Clerides had adamantly opposed.

Turkey has repeatedly threatened military action if the missiles are deployed in Cyprus, and the government in Nicosia has come under heavy pressure from the United States and the European Union to cancel the order.

Speaking after yesterday's 12pm briefing, Michalis Papapetrou, Vice President of the United Democrats, said that although he and his colleagues had been fully briefed by President Clerides, the politicians had not had the opportunity to express their own opinions on the matter.

The United Democrats, he went on, "see no reason that would allay" their serious concern over the turn of events on the S-300s.

Cyprus' political leadership must re-examine the issue in light of all factors, he said, drawing particular attention to Greece's desire to see the missiles deployed in Crete rather than Cyprus.

"I think Athens is sending some serious messages, which our side is called upon seriously to consider. We believe the issue should be re-examined from scratch," Papapetrou said.

Nicosia had to maintain co-operation with Athens at all costs, he added.

No postponement of "two or three weeks" would get Cyprus off the hook, Papapetrou warned. He refused to comment directly on the Greek position, but said it offered "food for thought".

For his part, socialist Edek's top man, Vassos Lyssarides, said that, in addition to Clerides' briefing, he had also been able to inform the political leaders on the outcome of his two-day trip to Greece earlier in the week.

The trip, at the invitation of ruling sister party Pasok, is widely thought to have been aimed at convincing Lyssarides to persuade Clerides to rethink his stance on the S-300s.

Regarding the missiles, Lyssarides said "I don't think there's been any change in the circumstances under which the decision (to deploy the missiles) was taken."

Nor had there been any attempt to meet the government's conditions for not deploying the missiles, he went on, and as such "there is absolutely no reason to change the decision."

The government has said it would reconsider the order if there was progress towards a broader demilitarisation in Cyprus.

Asked if he had received the same messages on his trip to Greece as Clerides had last week, Lyssarides simply said "yes".

As to whether Greece would still be willing to stand by the joint defence pact with Cyprus if the missiles were to arrive, despite Athens' advice to the contrary, Lyssarides said the answer remained "a clear yes".

The opinions expressed on the subject are "not uniform", Lyssarides said, but added that this was "healthy" and that differing opinions on the matter were "nothing to worry about."

Earlier in the day, Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides officially confirmed that no decision had been taken during Clerides' Athens meeting, and said the final decision about the missiles would be taken by the National Council.

Simitis stressed on Friday that the final decision on the missiles ultimately fell to Cyprus.

In his comments after the briefing, Diko leader Spyros Kyprianou said that "now is not the time for revelations or cover-ups."

He said he would make no further statements until he knew "the full truth".

Akel's Demetris Christofias also made no statements, underlining the need for calm on the issue, while Disy leader Nicos Anastassiades said that there should be no compromise on Cyprus' right to defend itself.

According to Turkish press reports yesterday, Ankara has also warned against the proposed Greek compromise of deploying the missiles in Crete.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem was quoted as saying that Turkey's stance was clear: "We cannot accept the deployment of the missiles in our geographic area of the Aegean region. This is their problem. If they make a mistake, there will be serious consequences."

Thursday, December 3, 1998

[03] EU aspirants to meet in Cyprus

The negotiators for the six - Cyprus, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Hungary - recently met over two days in Budapest, where they exchanged views on the environment, social and labour policies, energy problems, the free movement of capital, and the right to purchase land.

The chief negotiators, with the aim of improving co-operation, agreed to arrange meetings of experts to examine other areas of common interest, such as border control, as well as more closely to explore energy-sector problems and the movement of capital.

This Saturday, Vassiliou will be a keynote speaker at a conference in Bucharest of the ministers of the "fast-track" six and the slower-track five EU candidate countries, whose briefs include European affairs.

The conference's purpose includes discussion of EU accession problems, as well as issues raised in Luxembourg at the EU summit in December 1997, at which the 11 candidate countries received their "fast-track" or slower- track EU invitations.

It was at that summit that the EU commissioners invited Cyprus to become a candidate country, while declining any invitation at all to Turkey - much to Ankara's embarrassed fury.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

[04] Rolandis sets ball rolling to replace Hilton board

THE COUNCIL of Ministers yesterday decided to call the bluff of the Nicosia Hilton Hotel's directors by calling an extraordinary general meeting of the board with the intention of replacing it, Commerce Minister Nicos Rolandis said.

"There was a decision of the Council of Ministers (yesterday). We are proceeding to change the board of directors... There will be an extraordinary general meeting for these changes" in early January, Rolandis told the Cyprus Mail.

"We are giving notice" to the board, Rolandis said. "It will be done by the Attorney-general. It may take one or two days" to prepare. Since board rules require 28 days notice to call such a meeting, "probably the meeting will be around January 5," he said, to avoid holiday interference.

The Council acted after the hotel board ignored Rolandis's ultimatum of a week ago: to accept its choice of Byron Kranidiotis for board chairman, or else. The board, instead, has stood by the chairman it elected, Marios Pelides, who yesterday said two of the board's 11 members had gone over to Kranidiotis.

Pelides succeeded Andreas Kaisis, who resigned under what Pelides yesterday acknowledged was "a shadow cast over the company." The Council has yet to act on the results of a probe Rolandis ordered into Hilton spending under the Kaisis board.

"The will is there for the Council to proceed," Rolandis said. "The standing decision is... that the board of directors of the Hilton Hotel should appoint Mr Kranidiotis as the chairman of the board. This decision was not respected by the majority of the members of the Hilton Hotel (board)."

"So, if things remain as they are, probably the Council of Ministers will change either all, or as many (of the board) as necessary to bring about the result," he said. "You can change everything if you have 82 per cent of the equity of the company."

The government owns 82 per cent of the Cyprus Tour Development Company (CTDC), which owns the Nicosia Hilton. The private sector owns the other 18 per cent. The luxury hotel is operated by Hilton International, which is owned by British gambling giant Ladbrokes.

"If they (the board) change their minds, probably the Council of Ministers may view it differently," Rolandis said, "so we have 28 days to decide what to do."

Pelides yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that the board had been "unanimous" in rejecting Kranidiotis as chairman, and that despite the two defections, "the majority" still opposed him.

"We would not hesitate whatever to resign," Pelides said, but for "several allegations of mismanagement and maybe corruption" shadowing the board from the Kaisis days. "If these are investigated thoroughly, to our satisfaction and our names are cleared," the board would resign at once, he said.

But Pelides questioned the Cabinet's motives and wisdom in provoking a showdown over Kranidiotis: "If Mr Kaisis was forced to resign, is it reasonable for the government to insist to appoint as (Kaisis' successor) the deputy chairman (Kranidiotis), who presided over the board when the board awarded the contracts to Mr Kaisis' companies? It's food for thought, " he chuckled.

Rolandis said the Cabinet had deferred acting on the report from his ministry's probe into questionable Hilton spending under the Kaisis board until it studied a new report on the matter that President Glafcos Clerides got yesterday from some board members.

He said he found no evidence of crime in his investigation into whether £9 million in public funds were misspent in a £16-million construction project at the Nicosia Hilton under the Kaisis board. "No. Personally I do not see such a thing," Rolandis said.

"If, for instance, the Council of Ministers finds that they have done something very wrong, or wrong, they may change all of them," independent of the Kranidiotis flap, Rolandis noted.

But he has admitted the Council of Ministers could not now determine if £9 million in public funds were overspent at the luxury hotel, "because we (in the Commerce Ministry) do not have the competent staff to decide on that... This would have to be done by the Ministry of Communications and Works."

A source, who requested anonymity, said the manner of many Hilton purchases "cannot lead to criminal proceedings (against current or past board members), because it was done in such a way... with the approval of the consultants, that... you cannot take criminal proceedings."

According to the Rolandis investigation's report, which was leaked to the press, the CTDC board said it relied on technical consultants' advice in awarding contracts to tendering companies. But a source has told the Cyprus Mail that consultants can tailor tenders' criteria to "suit one person's supply position."

The Commerce Ministry report noted that Kaisis-owned companies bid on at least three Hilton contracts, worth over £500,000, while he was board chairman, and that two of his companies - despite not being lowest bidders - won two tenders, worth over £400,000.

The report also noted the CTDC board under Kaisis spent £25,000 to prepare an agreement about building a casino next to the Hilton Hotel, despite the fact Cyprus has not passed any legislation even allowing casinos in Cyprus.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

[05] Man of 45 remanded in incest case

The man, arrested on Tuesday, was brought to Nicosia District Court amid tight security yesterday morning for a hearing behind closed doors. He entered and left the courtroom with a jumper over his head.

The suspect was remanded for eight days to give police time to investigate claim's by the girl's mother that he had sexual contact with her daughter over a two to three year period.

The man's lawyer did not object to the remand order.

Police have said the suspect, from a Nicosia District village, made a voluntary statement "that appears to confess to the accusations."

Television reports yesterday suggested the man had told police he could "not remember" whether he had sexuality assaulted the girl or not.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

[06] Syrians held for alleged mutiny

Khaled Turk, 29, and Ahmed Sankari, 32, both crewmen on the Kased Karim fishing trawler, were remanded in custody for eight days by a Larnaca District court yesterday.

Police said they faced possible charges of mutiny, abduction and assault against the ship's captain Efstathios Karsoumas.

The attempted mutiny allegedly happened after 10pm on Monday when the vessel left Larnaca port and headed to refuel at Limassol before entering international waters for a fishing expedition.

When two nautical miles off Larnaca, Turk went to the captain and allegedly offered him £500 to change course for Syria. When he refused, there was tussle during which the two suspects managed to push Karsoumas into a cabin, investigating officer Kyriakos Kyriakou told the court.

Sankari stood guard over the captain and another crew member while Turk took control of the helm, the court heard.

At around 12.30 am yesterday morning, the Cyprus coast guard tracked the trawler from a distance of 200 metres, then radioed the vessel to identify itself when it got to within 10 metres of the boat.

"When nobody responded, warning shots were fired and the trawler stopped; police then freed the captain who shouted 'mutiny on board'; the vessel was then escorted to Larnaca port," a police statement said yesterday.

The two Syrians denied any wrongdoing when they were arrested, police said.

After the facts of the case were read out in court, the judge asked the suspects whether they had anything to add.

"I disagree with everything the investigating officer has said," Turk replied. Sankari alleged it was they who had been held captive.

"We have been held captive for 40 days on the boat without pay and today is the first time we've been on dry ground," Sankari told the judge.

Due to the seriousness of the alleged offences, the court decided they should remain in custody.

Thursday, December 3, 1998

[07] Deputies criticise overcrowding at Larnaca cells

THE CASE of 'noisy' illegal immigrants was discussed by the House Interior Committee yesterday, raising the more serious issue of their overcrowding in police holding cells.

Larnaca police chief Savvas Lardis told the meeting that 48 illegal immigrant detainees were presently being kept in the former Famagusta police headquarters in Larnaca.

He said the space had been designed for a much smaller number of inmates, forcing the authorities to assign eight to 10 men per room. The detainees sleep on double-bunk beds similar to those used by the National Guard.

Having called the meeting, Disy deputy Stelios Gerasimos said these conditions were unacceptable; the number of detainees was equivalent to 20 per cent of the total prison population at the Central Prisons in Nicosia, but these were being held in a facility far too small for the purpose.

Most of the detainees are illegal immigrants rescued from a Syrian trawler found off the coast of Cyprus in July. The remainder are immigrants found illegally working in Cyprus.

"They are not felons," Gerasimos pointed out: "they have rights."

Lardis answered that every possible comfort was given to the detainees including restaurant food, but insisted there was nowhere else to put them until new facilities were completed.

He said that work on the new buildings was currently under way, but could not give a specific completion date.

Lardis assured the assembled deputies that in the future the former Famagusta headquarters would be used as offices, and, exceptionally, to hold detainees, but for no more than one night.

The police headquarters were built in the 1960s.

Speaking at the committee meeting, a residents' representative complained that the detainees keep them awake at night with their shouting and had made their children too scared to play outside.

The representative said he sympathised with the immigrants, and had "nothing against them" but suggested "perhaps a screen should have been put up to prevent them from seeing us when we sit on our verandas."

The police cells saw riots in early November when detainees were beaten by policemen belonging to the rapid-reaction force (Mmad). The inmates had been demonstrated after learning that some of them were to be deported.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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