Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 03-04-22

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

CONTENTS

[01] Turkish Cypriots 'to allow Green Line crossings'

[02] Government outlines SARS precautions

[03] CyBC reveals new Turkish Cypriot measures

[04] Eleftheria Square toilets proving a headache for authorities

[05] UN aid team hopes to return to Iraq soon

[06] Expat hopes to score with new book

[07] Blank licences and passports stolen

[08] Kiosk break-in

[09] Kykkos Bishop seeks unity

[10] Government may terminate tendering process for traffic cameras

[11] Police urge caution during Easter firecracker period

[12] Ancient coins return to Cyprus

[13] Investigation launched into purchase of CY planes

[14] EOKA-era bomb expert dies

[15] Mobile phone licence auction may be delayed again

[16] Russian woman's trial adjourned

[01] Turkish Cypriots 'to allow Green Line crossings'

THE TURKISH Cypriots said yesterday they would open the Green Line for day- long crossings in an effort to boost confidence after the collapse of last month's peace talks.

The failure of the UN-backed negotiations aimed at reuniting the island before Cyprus enters the European Union has threatened to cement the division and damage Turkey's own efforts to join the affluent bloc.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, blamed by EU diplomats for the collapse of the talks, earlier this month proposed freedom of movement and other confidence-building measures he said would encourage both sides towards a final settlement.

Yesterday Serdar Denktash, Denktash's son and the self-styled Turkish Cypriot administration's 'deputy prime minister', told Reuters news agency that Turkish Cypriots would be allowed to enter the south and Greek Cypriots to come north each day until midnight.

"The council of ministers has decided to normalise crossings from the north to the south for Turkish Cypriots for day trips ... Whether the Greek Cypriots allow (citizens) to enter the south is something for them to decide," Serdar Denktash said.

"This is a unilateral decision passed to build confidence and promote peace. We hope the Greek Cypriots will follow suit."

The government spokesman was unable to be reached for comment last night.

The island is set to join the EU in May 2004 after signing the accession treaty in Athens last week. Rauf Denktash has demanded direct talks with Brussels, saying the government does not represent the Turkish Cypriots.

The EU has urged Turkey to push Denktash towards agreeing to a settlement or face a major obstacle in its own EU membership aspirations.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[02] Government outlines SARS precautions

THE HEALTH Ministry remains on high alert and is prepared to deal with any potential outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Medical Services Head, Constantinos Mallis said yesterday.

Speaking after a meeting with health ministry employees responsible for handling the atypical pneumonia, Mallis confirmed there had been no incident of the flu-like illness on the island.

On Friday the organisation listed 27 countries that had reported possible SARS cases including Australia, Brazil, South Africa, the Philippines, Ireland, Germany and Italy.

“So far we have not had any incidents, or suspected cases, or had anyone from an affected area informing us that they could develop this disease,” he said.

However, he recommended that people wishing to travel to affected areas, should postpone their trips if they were not necessary.

According to the WHO: “an 'affected area' is an area in which local chain(s) of transmission of SARS is/are occurring as reported by the national public health authorities.” These are Canada (Toronto), Singapore (Singapore), China (Beijing, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Taiwan Province), the United States (areas not reported), United Kingdom (London) and Viet Nam (Hanoi).

Taiwan, the UK and the US were areas with limited local transmission, said the WHO, with no evidence of international spread from the area since March 15 and no transmission, other than close person-to-person contact.

At today's meeting the officials discussed new evidence from the internet and WHO updates on SARS.

Mallis said passengers leaving affected regions were given health checks and had to fill in questionnaires on their state of health. Another precaution the government had taken was to remind airlines to issue general health declarations before landing, which was common practice in light of infectious disease outbreaks. Aircraft staff flying to Cyprus had also been told to check passengers for symptoms so that the captain could alert the airport. If someone displayed SARS symptoms onboard the flight, the pilot would inform the landing airport, so that the passenger could be taken to either Paphos or Larnaca airport's clinic for a check up.

A special facility had already been set up at Limassol hospital where any people showing symptoms of the virus would be taken, he said. Mallis added if the person did not need to go to hospital, he or she would be confined to their homes under medical supervision.

Mallis reassured the public that Asian students studying on the island posed no threat because they only travelled home during the holidays. Mallis said ministry officials would be meeting with the Pancyprian Medical Association next Thursday to discuss the measures they had implemented to deal with a possible outbreak in Cyprus and to assess whether the public should be further informed on the disease.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[03] CyBC reveals new Turkish Cypriot measures

IN AN exclusive news bulletin last night, CyBC television revealed the government's proposed measures to aid Turkish Cypriots' living standards.

According to the station, the 35-page document included 11 annexes and promoted facilitating the employment of Turkish Cypriots, the movement and exportation of products from the occupied areas and the inclusion of Turkish Cypriots in the Republic's presidential elections.

The Foreign Ministry prepared the top-secret memorandum and although several measures are still under consideration, the council of ministers is expected to approve them shortly.

CyBC said the measures are unilateral and have two primary aims: to improve Turkish Cypriots living standards so they would not leave the island and allowing them to also benefit from the island's EU accession. Although some measures could be implemented directly, others required the cooperation of the Turkish Cypriots themselves.

One of the document's main points was the movement of goods within Cyprus and to the European Union. Naturally, goods from the occupied areas would have to fulfil the terms, conditions and specifications for EU exportation, such as their certificates of provenance and rules of production. Their transport abroad would have to take place from internationally recognised airports and ports, said CyBC.

Referring to the employment of Turkish Cypriots, the memorandum suggested advertising jobs on the internet and accepting their applications via email. This communication could them be coordinated by a bicommunal body. The government was also considering recognising Turkish Cypriots' qualifications from the occupied areas tertiary education institutions, as well as extending scholarships to Turkish Cypriots for the Republic's educational facilities.

Another suggestion the document made was the introduction of the Turkish language into local secondary schools' curriculum. This would then involve the employment of Turkish Cypriot teachers. The government was also considering offering free Greek lessons to interested Turkish Cypriots.

Finally CyBC reported the possible participation of Turkish Cypriots in the island's national teams abroad, such as the Olympic games next year and their including in the republic's presidential elections.

However, despite the station's breaking story, earlier in the day, the government said it would most likely announce the measures sometime in the first two weeks of May, when they could be implemented immediately, said spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides.

The measures included the relaxation of trade restrictions, Cypriot passports and access to healthcare.

Chrysostomides said the measures would be announced by Foreign Minister George Iacovou after ''all views” including those of the EU were taken into account. The measures will be discussed with EU Chief Negotiator with Cyprus Leopold Maurer tomorrow.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[04] Eleftheria Square toilets proving a headache for authorities

MALE PROSTITUTES advertising their services on the walls of Nicosia's public toilets are proving a challenge for the local authorities who are forced to spend thousands of pounds annually to keep the toilets operational.

The walls of the public toilets at Eleftheria Square are riddled with mobile telephone numbers of men offering their services in detail, and according to health department official Philippos Petsas, the municipality is finding the situation almost impossible to control.

“We have a serious problem with these people,” he told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

“They walk in they write what they want to write on the walls and then we have to clean up and paint again and again.”

Petsas said the only way to prevent male prostitutes from vandalising the toilets was to close them during the night.

“The problem with that though is that we could have a serious health problem if we lock the toilets because people who find them locked would just go ahead and relieve themselves in the park,” he said.

There had been suggestions that the municipality would be hiring security guards to keep watch on the toilets. But according to Petsas, placing security guards would not solve the problem.

“We would have to have security guards for 21 toilets, which is practically impossible to do on a 24-hour basis,” he said.

“The other problem of course is how do you check whether someone is writing on the walls while he is inside the cubicle? The only way to do that would be to place cameras, but I don't think people are going to like that.

“There was also a suggestion to have a system similar to that in the UK where you have to pay to use the toilets, he said. “Unfortunately in this country if someone doesn't have the money, or doesn't want to pay, he would just go ahead and relieve himself somewhere else.”

Petsas said plans to upgrade the toilets had to be put off until a solution was found.

“We have to upgrade our public toilets to EU standards, but we are finding it difficult to come up with a plan that would put people off writing on the walls and damaging the toilets,” he said.

“But we are working on it and we will be putting out tenders for the upgrades within the next month.”

According to a police source, public toilets are also a haven for drug dealers and users and that the light around the toilets in the parks is not adequate to put people off.

“We found drug users inside the toilets,” the source said. “On one occasion, we found a man who had overdosed on heroin and we had to rush him to hospital.

“Those areas are ideal for drug users because they are dark and there is a lot of cover. The lighting around the parks is not good, but we have stepped up police patrols in order to try and control the situation.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[05] UN aid team hopes to return to Iraq soon

UNITED NATIONS personnel currently in Cyprus to assist with humanitarian work in Iraq are hoping to return there soon, a UN source confirmed yesterday.

Around 200 humanitarian staff have been staying on the island since they were evacuated to Cyprus from the Iraqi capital Baghdad on March 18.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday Sonia Dumont, information officer for the UN Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq (UNOHCI) said a UN team was prepared to leave for Iraq to resume its work as soon as the situation allowed.

“There is a team waiting to go back to the north of Iraq. Other assessments are being conducted in different places in Iraq and as soon as the situation will allow we will have a permanent presence there again,” she said.

Dumont added that cooperation with the Cypriot authorities over humanitarian aid to Iraq continued to be excellent.

''We coordinate with our other offices in Iraq and in the region, to organise cross-border operations, convoys to Baghdad and to other parts of Iraq''.

“(We) have been cooperating even before we were evacuated here on March 18, ” she added.

Asked when she hoped humanitarian officers could return to Iraq, Dumont said a precise date had not yet been set.

“We are looking at returning to some parts of the country that are secure, for example in the north, but nobody knows what the ultimate time line is… the situation evolves so rapidly,” she said.

Dumont added that it was impossible to say how many personnel based on the island would be going on to Iraq.

“They will not all go to Iraq, as they were not all in Iraq to begin with. We have about 200 people here but some came from their headquarters elsewhere -- for example, we invited several agencies to work with us for emergency preparations.”

“We did have over 100 people evacuated (to Cyprus) from Baghdad but it will depend on what is needed at the time how many will re-enter the country.”

UN flights to Iraq have not resumed since the evacuation of more than 100 UN staff to Larnaca last month just before the war.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[06] Expat hopes to score with new book

A BRITISH expatriate now living in Cyprus is in the process of writing a book about football.

Forty-six-year-old Gemini Reynolds, from Surrey, has been living in Paphos since 1994, and has had a keen interest in football for over thirty years.

Her passion for the beautiful game was developed mainly through her ex- husband Beau Reynolds, who was once Chairman of former Premiership Club Wimbledon FC.

“My ex-husband was Chairman of Wimbledon football club in the mid to late eighties, so that's where it all comes from really -- I've been involved in football since the 1970s.”

Asked whether she has maintained her involvement with football while in Cyprus, Reynolds said she still loves the game, but has become less personally involved since she left Britain.

“It's more difficult to get involved in football here -- it's difficult to support a team in a foreign country if you don't have any connection with it,” she said.

She has however monitored the progress and whereabouts of British footballers over the past nine years and met with Paul Gascoigne when he visited the island as a Glasgow Rangers player in 1995.

“I went to Anorthosis' stadium in Larnaca to meet him, and of course my dog is called Gazza. I thought he was very, very nice and he obviously loves dogs, he paid a lot of attention to mine!

“I find it very hard to believe what you read about him in the papers,” she added.

Primarily an account of English football from the 1970s to the present day, Reynolds said her book, Scoring, will also include recollections and pictures of players and managers she has met in person.

“It will focus on different players I have met through my association with football, like Ronnie Harris in the Chelsea days, and George Graham, who I have met many times.”

Though Scoring is in its infancy, she intends to include several other footballing names in the book.

“There will be quite a few famous names mentioned in it,” she said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[07] Blank licences and passports stolen

POLICE are investigating the theft of 2,559 blank driving licences and 850 blank passports.

The licences were stolen sometime during the weekend from the Drivers' Licence Issue Department in Nicosia. Between 2.50pm on Friday and 7.30am yesterday, thieves raided the department's offices in Latchia, police said yesterday.

Meanwhile the Nicosia passport office reported that 850 blank Cypriot passports, 100 blank passport pages and an as yet uncounted number of blank election booklet pages had been stolen between last Wednesday and yesterday.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[08] Kiosk break-in

A LIMASSOL kiosk owner reported £2,172 worth of cigarettes, chocolates and cigars stolen from her shop in Makarios avenue, police said yesterday. Athenoulla Michaelidou said the thieves must have broken in sometime between 4.30pm on Saturday and 7am yesterday.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[09] Kykkos Bishop seeks unity

THE GREEK Orthodox Church of Cyprus appears to be softening its stance towards the Cyprus issue with bishops reaching out a conciliatory hand to Turkish Cypriots in the run up to Easter.

Bishop Nikoforos of Kykkou, during his Palm Sunday sermon at the weekend sent a message of love and friendship to the Turkish Cypriots and called on them to cooperate for a free and peaceful Cyprus.

Two days before the sermon, the Bishop Neophytos of Morphou confessed to a Turkish Cypriot newspaper that the Cyprus Church was guilty of nationalism, that he listens to Turkish music and has volunteered to go and live in the north as an 'experiment'.

In the interview with Yeni Duzen, the 42-year old Bishop, who last month called on Morphou refugees to donate blood for a little Turkish Cypriot girl, was quizzed over a remark he made previously that “nationalism is a sin and the Greek Cypriot Orthodox Church has committed this sin”.

“Nationalism is the worshipping of a nation. But in all religions we only worship God. We love our country of course but we do not worship our country,” he said. “So I feel that the Cypriot Church being a living organism has entered this adventure of nationalism as a temptation. In this process the church was being influenced by the environmental 'currents' and various currents coming from history.”

Admitting that Turkish Cypriots see the Greek Cypriot Church in a negative way because of its political leanings, Neophytou said the only Archbishop who was able to transcend this was Makarios because he moved away from the idea of Enosis to independence.

“But unfortunately nobody allowed this independence to work. Neither the Greek Cypriot nor the Turkish Cypriot nationals or the foreign powers allowed independence to survive. I come from a household where my father was singing Amanes (Ottoman music).

“The CDs I bought from England recently are mainly Turkish and Ottoman music, simply because I like it and not to make any political point in favour of rapprochement. Because of reasons of heart not because of ideology I listen to this music, not because I have to, but I love this music,” he said.

“In my home we never had these images of Turkish Cypriots as monsters but rather they are my friends. And in my later studies I concluded that Byzantium operated as a common bridge between the Greek and Turkish cultures. One of the monks in the monastery of Mavrovouni in Larnaca, where I was before I became a bishop, is learning Turkish. I sent him to learn Turkish…

“I am prophesising that by the time we have the next interview, this monk would have learnt Turkish and will have been promoted to the priesthood. His teacher is a Turkish Cypriot woman from England.”

Neophytou said that he and other Bishops had suggested to former President Glafcos Clerides that five other Greek Cypriots live in the north for a period of time as an experiment to show Turkish Cypriots that Cypriot bishops are not monsters.

“I'm 100 per cent sure that we'll live together again. But we need time... And we shouldn't do the same mistake that was done in Zurich... We have to find a solution that can function in the heart as well, not only on paper... I feel the state of Turkey is not ready to do this yet, the 'Deep State' of Turkey is not ready yet,” he said.

Neophytou said that the Zurich agreement that brought on Cyprus' independence was a solution “for us without us”. “The elements of partition were rooted in this solution, it was not functionable actually,” he said. So it's very simple for me: we have to find a solution that would work better than Zurich. So the key point of the role of the church is not to say if it's pro-Annan or against Annan but to prepare the people for the coexistence after the solution and be a factor of coexistence and peace. The church has an important role to play after the solution.”

Identity was a problem; the Bishop said pointing out that neither Greek nor Turkish Cypriots cannot live together based on an agreement brought about by European money

“Once a wise man said that whoever knows where he came from, then he knows where he's going to… There's lack of knowledge about ourselves I believe, there is lack of knowledge of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots of our identity… And the foreigners, the Europeans and the Americans they can see that. They 'handle' this, they 'exploit' this situation,” he said

“Nationalism is different from fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is more difficult, complicated then nationalism. That's why the US is fighting against Iraq - it's not only the oil of Mosul - the United States felt threatened by Islamic Iraq, that's why US is fighting Iraq. And they feel this threat and in future always they will feel this threat. Dollars is the God of America.”

The Bishop also said that there were more similarities between Islam and Orthodoxy and the Catholic Church and Orthodoxy. “The Archbishop of Albania, Anastassios he wrote a very good book about Islam. I suggested to the Minister of Education that they should teach from this book at schools,” he said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[10] Government may terminate tendering process for traffic cameras

IN THE latest twist on the procurement of traffic cameras, the government is reportedly considering cancelling the tenders process or else face a major lawsuit by disgruntled bidders.

Following extensive media coverage last week on alleged procedural discrepancies in the submission and evaluation of tenders, President Tassos Papadopoulos took a personal interest in the matter. Last Wednesday the President requested a report from the relevant Communications Minister and from the Accountant-general. By Thursday Papadopoulos had the report in his hands.

The issue surfaced when some of the bidding companies complained of a number of irregularities, including last-minute changes to the terms and conditions and resubmitting paperwork known as “compliance statements.”

In late March, the Tenders Board took recourse to the Attorney-general's office, which advised that the tenders process did not ensure “healthy competition” among the bidding companies. For example, the AG's office found that some bidders submitted the compliance statements after the deadline or that they left vital information out of the paperwork. Some companies even claim they were not given sufficient time to submit their Best and Final Offers (BAFO).

Chairman of the Tender Board Lazaros Lazarou told the Cyprus Mail that just two companies had complained in writing and denied there were any thoughts of cancelling the process. “Both companies had some misgivings on procedural, not technical, issues,” he added.

What all this means is that the customer -- the government --could be liable to a civil lawsuit if it does not nullify this tenders process and initiate another one. The purchase of traffic cameras will reportedly cost taxpayers £10 million. If irregularities in the tenders process are established, and the bidders sue, then taxpayers will end up also paying for the compensation.

But the burden of proof would be on the companies suing, Lazarou elaborated. They would have to prove in court that they suffered financial loss.

Press reports suggest that the involved ministries are planning to consult the AG's office again on the best time to cancel the procedure.

In the face of these delays, the installation of speed cameras on the island's highways has been termed a high-priority issue. It is hoped they will help curb the high road toll. Drivers would be penalised for crossing red lights, speeding, not wearing seatbelts and talking on cellular phone. About one-third of the devices would be dummy cameras, although drivers won't be able to tell the difference.

On its own, the Tenders Board does not have the authority to terminate a process; it would first need to be authorised by the Department of Electromechanical Services or the Cabinet. In turn, the Cabinet must appoint a committee of inquiry to establish any discrepancies.

The Tenders Board is responsible for reviewing bids in all government procurement contracts worth over £100,000.

The purchase of the cameras has been a saga in the making. The process began back in June last year, with the bidders submitting their offers in November. It was scheduled for completion by early this month. The first twist came when the April 8 deadline was extended to May 31, although it's now likely the process will be terminated before that date. In total, 17 companies have submitted their offers.

Press reports yesterday said the involved government departments had already been verbally instructed to prepare for a new tenders process, but this could not be independently confirmed.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[11] Police urge caution during Easter firecracker period

DESPITE A government campaign to stop people from using firecrackers during Easter celebrations, two children from Limassol were rushed to hospital on Sunday after home-made firecrackers ignited in their hands causing them serious injury.

According to a police bulletin, a 12-year-old lost two fingers when the firecracker he was building at home exploded in his hands, while a 13-year- old was also rushed to hospital with injuries all over his body from a similar accident.

Police said the children were using match heads, sparkler shavings, and pop- gun shell powder to build their firecrackers and stressed that when mixed together the substances were unpredictable.

The accidents lead to the arrests of a 40-year-old kiosk owner and a 16- year-old tradesman on Sunday in connection with the illegal import and sale of pyrotechnics, police said.

The men were arrested when during a search at the 13-year-old's home they found eight firecrackers that are thought to have come from the bicommunal village of Pyla.

According to the police the child confessed that he had purchased the firecrackers from the two men. The suspects denied the charges.

In Larnaca two 15-year-olds were arrested when police found five firecrackers in their possession. A further search in one of the teenagers' home lead to the discovery of 120 manufactured firecrackers thought to have been brought to Larnaca from the north through Pyla.

Reports say one of the teenagers has named his provider and police have issued a warrant for his arrest.

In a statement yesterday, police strongly urge parents to protect their children by not allowing them to play with firecrackers.

Meanwhile the Fire Service has urged the public to be extremely careful when lighting the traditional Lambrajia, a custom involving the burning of an effigy of Judas Iscariot in a huge bonfire, on the night of Jesus' resurrection.

The size of the fires usually lead to accidents and the Fire Service have issued a list of precautions that would help avoid accidents urging the public to light the Lambrajia at an area designated by the local authorities and the church.

The public is urged to make sure that an area of 30 metres is cleared of shrub or flammable material. The Fire Service stressed that the use of flammable materials to light the fire should be avoided.

No gas canisters of any kind should be thrown into the fire and doing so could result in a huge explosion with many casualties.

Those responsible for preparing the Lambrajia should make sure there are no electrical cables over the fire and make sure that no children are allowed to come close.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[12] Ancient coins return to Cyprus

IT SEEMS Aphrodite is not the only Cypriot treasure returning to Cyprus this during this year's Italian Month. The Italian Minister of Education and Culture, Giuliano Urbani, is to hand over 161 stolen ancient Cypriot coins to Minister of Communication and Works, Kikis Kazamias, in a ceremony tomorrow afternoon at the Cyprus Museum.

Very little is known as regards how and when they were smuggled out of Cyprus but the coins have been dated to the fourth century BC and are thought to be from the ancient southwestern coastal city of Amathus. They are silver and show a lion's head on one side and various symbols and letters on the other.

The Department of Antiquities director Sophocles Hadjisavvas said that Cyprus has very few coins from this place and time, making the latest repossession “so important”.

He added that the return of the coins would be a “respectable demonstration of solidarity between two countries who suffer the problem of illegal trafficking of stolen antiquities”.

“It is very important that the Minister of Culture will deliver them in person. It shows that the government of Italy appreciates the relationship between the two countries, otherwise they could have just sent them through Interpol.”

While the return of the coins is not technically part of Italian Cultural Month in Cyprus, which will also bring an exhibition of twenty-three Italian masterpieces featuring the ancient Goddess Aphrodite as their main theme, Hadjisavvas said that the timing is a “happy coincidence.”

When the Cyprus Antiquities Department noticed the coins being sold on the internet last year from a location in Italy, they called Interpol in Rome. In June 2002, police in San Merino seized around 10,000 coins, including the Cypriot coins, from a woman who was selling them over the Internet. Further investigation into the suspect company's accounts uncovered a criminal organisation that had made millions of euros selling stolen antiquities in Italy and abroad.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[13] Investigation launched into purchase of CY planes

GOVERNMENT Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said yesterday that the government has launched an investigation into problems that have arisen through the delivery of four new Cyprus Airways (CY) aircraft.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Chrisostomides said the government was investigating comments made by former CY chairman Haris Loizides, who said there had been no problems with the delivery of the aircraft.

“Mr Loizides told the President in two separate meetings before handing in his resignation, that there were no problems with the sale and delivery of the aircraft and that everything was going according to plan,” Chrysostomides said.

“It now seems that there are many discrepancies regarding the contracts, especially for four aircraft that were scheduled to be delivered to ILFC (the company that has purchased the aircraft).”

Chrysostomides said he would make no further comment on the investigation until it was completed and the results made public, but said that President Tassos Papadopoulos could ask Loizides to clarify some points.

According to the Spokesman, the investigation is centred around documents that surfaced regarding the aircraft, their repair, pricing and delivery.

Chrysostomides said there was no reason to rush into appointing a new chairman for CY since the council is more than capable of running the company.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[14] EOKA-era bomb expert dies By Jean Christou

According to an obituary in the Daily Telegraph Harry 'Bomber' Harrison was a bomb expert who thwarted EOKA fighters while serving as an explosives expert in Cyprus and was later awarded the George Medal for his courage and leadership.

Harrison was posted to Cyprus in January 1955 in the ordinary course of duty but, within a few days of his arrival, a caique was discovered running arms and ammunition to EOKA. Harrison, known as "Bomber" to his comrades, was appointed Inspecting Ordnance Officer and thrown into the struggle, the Telegraph said.

In August 1956, a bomb explosion at the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation caused considerable damage to transformers and other electrical equipment. Harrison searched the building and found more explosives, many of which were fitted with time pencils, concealed among other transformers.

In November 1958 a bomb exploded in a room in the Cyprus Inland Telecommunications Headquarters at Nicosia. Harrison supervised the evacuation of all civilians from the building before entering the room and making a personal search. As he searched for the device a second exploded four feet away, but Harrison continued his search until he was satisfied that there were no more bombs in the building.

“On another occasion Harrison was called to Government House to deal with a bomb that had been concealed in the bed of the erstwhile governor, Sir Hugh Foot. Not the tallest of men, Foot's feet did not reach the bottom of the bed, and the bomb, fitted with a trembler device, failed to detonate. Harrison feared that at any moment a vibration might set off the bomb, but he managed to manoeuvre it on to a shovel and carry it outside before making it safe,” the paper said.

As EOKA activities intensified, Harrison was given a team, which he trained himself, and whose members were posted around the island. They were on call 24 hours a day and had to neutralise or dispose of many different types of devices, including pipe bombs, grenades, land mines and cans packed with nitro-glycerine, many of which were dangerously unstable.

“At the height of the terrorist activity, he was working almost around the clock; in one period of six weeks he personally dealt with 150 unexploded bombs and other explosive devices,” the Telegraph said.

“Harrison was so effective in destroying the terrorists' bombs that it was believed his name headed General Grivas's assassination list. Some 10,000 explosive devices were disposed of during the course of the four years before EOKA disbanded in March 1959.”

During its work Harrison's bomb disposal team suffered four casualties: two dead and two injured.

Harrison had initially trained to be an optician; “but the career promised too little in the way of excitement”, and he enlisted in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1934. He went to the Military College of Science at Woolwich Arsenal, where he specialised in guns and explosives. He was posted to the War Office in the rank of captain, with responsibility for dealing with defects in weapons and ammunition at the RAOC factories. After the end of the war, he saw active service in Palestine before being seconded to the Straits Settlements as food controller for Malaya, based at Penang. He travelled to Siam (renamed Thailand in 1949), where he was in charge of 2,000 surrendered Japanese and was responsible for destroying all the guns and bombs left behind after the occupation. In 1960, after more than four years in Cyprus, he retired from the Army and worked in the private sector in the Middle East for a time.

Back in England Harrison was employed by the Home Office for a time, helping to set up immigration camps for Vietnamese refugees. In retirement he lectured on anti-terrorism and maintained close links with the bomb squad at New Scotland Yard.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[15] Mobile phone licence auction may be delayed again

THE GOVERNMENT may further delay the auction of the first mobile telephone licence to the private sector after misgivings expressed by would-be bidders at the current monopoly of state telecoms provider CyTA.

"A very slight delay is being considered ... from June for two or three months until September. However nothing is final," a telecoms source told Reuters yesterday when asked about the possibility of a delay.

The government will make a final assessment of the situation in the next few days, the source added.

A delay would not go down well in Brussels, where the European Union has already rapped Cypriot authorities once for dragging its feet over the deregulation process.

The present auction, the first of its kind on island, was initially slated to take place late last year, and since then delays have been gradually creeping in.

A government official earlier told Reuters the auction may be put off until September, citing complaints by telecom companies that they were not being given a level playing field to enter the market with CyTA, which has been providing mobile services since 1988 when the government gave it a permit.

When the second GSM licence is issued, CyTA will automatically be given a licence and be obliged to pay exactly the same amount as the private bidder paid in the auction process.

One mobile operator, Greece's Stet Hellas (HELL.AS), said in March it would not bid for a licence in Cyprus because the government had failed to make the necessary market reforms.

Telecom companies which took part in a public consultation process have expressed unease at the auction of a second mobile GSM licence while the regulatory framework of a deregulated telecoms market was still being put into place.

Issues ranging from national roaming and numbering arrangements have not been clarified, nor have the connection fees that CyTA will charge the new telecoms provider.

The fate of its own transformation into a company with more flexibility to deal with competition remains unclear amid suggestions parliament is balking at legislation changing its ownership structure.

A law to change CyTA into a company jointly owned by the government and staff -- with a government controlling interest -- was tabled to parliament by an administration defeated in the last general elections in February.

The new communications minister said last week CyTA would be modernised without the state relinquishing its ownership. (R)

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

[16] Russian woman's trial adjourned

A LIMASSOL court yesterday adjourned the case of a 36-year-old Russian woman who alleged she had been beaten by police and yet, instead, was standing trial for five charges they claimed she had committed.

Gourjanad Chikhaev's court hearing had been set for yesterday morning, her husband Arslan told the Cyprus Mail. She was accused of causing actual bodily harm to a police sergeant and police officer from the Limassol district Crime Prevent Unit (CPU) early on the morning of January 15. She was also charged for drunkenness, public disturbance and swearing in public.

The couple have denied all charges and describe a completely different version of events. Gourjanad alleges police mocked and beat her and when she was released from jail three days later, a doctor's examination confirmed she had severe bruising on various parts of her body.

The trial was rescheduled for June 30 because the couple hired a new lawyer last week and he needed time to prepare the case, said Arslan. Their new lawyer is Vangelis Pourgourides, son of Christos Pourgourides, chairman of the House Watchdog Committee.

“We have employed one of the best lawyers because this is an important case. Not just for us, but for all of society. In the months running up to the trial we saw that the police are not only a problem for foreigners, but also treat locals badly. This habit of charging people that they mistreat seems to be common practise,” he said.

Arslan said his lawyer was optimistic and believed they had a strong case. “We also have witnesses who are willing to testify that my wife was sober when she left the café,” he added.

Arslan said he and Gourjanad were still suffering from nightmares, anxiety and depression over the event.

“It's not a joke being forced to sit on the accused's bench,” he said. “We need this to end and to see justice done. Measures need to be taken against those responsible.”

The 47-year-old said were actually having to consider professional help to try and overcome the terrible ordeal.

“This whole thing is burning in our hearts like a wound and needs a special kind of treatment to be healed,” he said.

However, if in two months time the judgement were not in their favour, he would fight for here release. “It won't end there,” he said. “This is not a threat, but we cannot accept her being sentenced when she is innocent.”

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2003

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