Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-03-25

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

Thursday, March 25, 1999

Outrage at latest Limassol murder

THE MURDER of chief game warden Savvas Savva grabbed all the headlines yesterday.

Politis focused on Limassol residents' reaction to the deadly bomb attack in broad daylight on a busy main street.

Hundreds of citizens spontaneously gathered outside the Limassol District Office to express their alarm at the growing rate of violent crime in the coastal town.

The protesters were joined by civil servants from the Pasydy union, distraught at the violent attack on one of their own.

The demonstrators agreed things had got to the point of no return and voiced their dejection at what they saw as the inability of police to do something about violent crime, the paper reported.

The paper also reported that the provision of bombs for criminals had become profitable business for clandestine operators in Limassol. An explosive device of almost any specification was available for as little as between £200 and £750.

Phileleftheros reported that the victim had warned a whole year ago that he and his fellow game wardens were becoming targets for organised gangs of poachers. Arson attacks on the properties of game wardens were a commonplace occurrence, the paper reported. Two children and other innocent bystanders were lucky to escape unharmed from the blast, the paper added.

The paper added that civil servants union Pasydy was considering offering a £100,000 reward for the capture and conviction of those responsible for Savva's killing.

The man arrested in connection with the attack was the cousin of a poacher shot dead by game wardens in November last year and police believed the bomb attack may have been motivated by a desire for revenge, the paper said. The suspect, 26-year-old Charalambos Spyrou, was considered by police to be a "hard nut", having been a member of the National Guard commando frogmen unit.

Machi agreed with the general media consensus that the crime rate in Limassol had become intolerable and stated that President Clerides had warned police that he wanted swift and effective action to track down and convict the perpetrators of the deadly bomb attack.

Left-wing Haravghi reported that opposition party Akel had called on the government to take "real" action for the maintenance of law and order in Limassol.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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