Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-10-17

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Saturday, October 17, 1998

Government's hands are tied

THE GOVERNMENT'S inability to sack the Electricity Authority of Cyprus' (EAC) board as well as the Attorney-general's decision to sue the Limassol Bishopric over the debts to the state of the Amiandos mining company dominate the front pages.

Simerini reported that legal obstacles had prevented the Council of Ministers from sacking the EAC board. However, the government repeated that the EAC board had not acted in the public interest when it agreed to buy a plot of land from the Limassol Bishopric at a price that was double the market value.

The Attorney-general explained that the Council of Ministers did not have the authority to sack the board. Minister of Commerce Nicos Rolandis, who had demanded the sacking of the board, said it was paradoxical that the president could fire ministers but not members he had appointed to semi- governmental boards.

Haravghi said the government was to consult the parties about amending the law governing the operation of semi-governmental organisations so that it could exercise some control over them. It described this as an attempt to curtail the autonomy of these organisations.

It quoted Akel deputy Andreas Christou as saying that there were adequate controls and that semi-governmental organisation needed autonomy and independence to survive in a free market.

Alithia said that the Amiandos asbestos mine case had been re-opened by Attorney-general Alecos Markides. He has already prepared law suits against Amiandos, which is in receivership, demanding payment of debts to the state.

Markides said that Amiandos, which was owned by the Limassol Bishopric, owed £336,000 to the state. The paper, citing its own sources, said Amiandos owed £500,000 to Inland Revenue and £569,000 to the Social Insurance Fund.

Machi quoted Alkis Mavronichis, the financial advisor of the Bishop of Limassol, as saying that the Amiandos case was closed and Markides had no right to re-open it as he would be opening a can of worms.

He noted that Amiandos had been a profitable company and the decisions to close it down had not been taken by the Bishopric. He said that from the profits the Bishopric had bought a helicopter for £300,000 and donated it to the police.

Phileleftheros said that the most low-key effort to end the Cyprus deadlock was to be set in motion by UN deputy representative Ann Hercus yesterday. Her first step would be to ask both sides to refrain from making any public statements that could worsen the climate, the paper said.

Hercus met President Clerides yesterday and was due to meet Rauf Denktash next week.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article