Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 99-10-27

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

Wednesday, October 27, 1999

Political storm over visa permits

FORMER Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides and Disy deputy leader Panayiotis Demetriou were at the centre of yesterday's stories about the investigations into goings on at the Immigration Department.

The latest revelations centre on the issuing of a work permit for a Lebanese national, Ahmad Chaabou, in 1996, after his lawyer, Demetriou, had been to see then minister Michaelides. Chaabou's application for a permit had been turned down three years earlier after objections by Kyp, the secret services, which changed stance in 1996.

Simerini

said the visa scam had taken on new dimensions as it had turned into a "political storm which was threatening leading Cypriot personalities". The facts of the Chaabou case were contained in a file prepared by Immigration Chief Christodoulos Nicolaides, who is currently under remand.

Michaelides denied that he was guilty of favourable treatment, claiming the original decision not to issue a work permit to Chaabou had been reviewed two years later. Demetriou, who said he had gone to see Michaelides on behalf of his client Chaabou, regretted the fact this his professional activities as a lawyer had been turned into "a political scandal".

Haravghi

said the latest revelations "prove the political responsibilities of the government as well as its weakness and lack of political will to stamp out corruption". The case of Chaabou, who had a criminal past, and the involvement of Michaelides and Demetriou left the government and Disy exposed.

Questions regarding the case remained unanswered. Kyp had originally objected to the granting of permission to Chaabou to set up an offshore company, only to change its views after the intervention of Demetriou. Kyp should explain what had changed in the intervening three-year period -- 1993 to '96 -- to make it send a memo to immigration to ignore its initial objections.

Phileleftheros

saw the latest revelations, "which touch politicians", as taking the "form of underground political confrontations". So far, the names of six politicians had cropped up in the immigration case files being investigated by the police for trying to secure entry visas for foreigners.

It quoted the leader of Disy, Nicos Anastassiades, as saying that his party was on the receiving end of an "orchestrated attack". He also accused the media "for being under the impression that political parties could be undermined". The issue was to be discussed by the Disy Political Bureau.

Machi

gave prominence to Demetriou's version of events. The Disy deputy leader said he had been convinced by Chaabou's assurances that he had been the victim of a slur campaign by his Lebanese competitors who did not want him to set up an offshore company in Cyprus.

Politis

led with a report about the over-priced drugs being sold on the Cyprus market. It quoted the Minister of Health, Frixos Savvides, as saying the general conditions surrounding the import and sale of pharmaceuticals had "holes, windows and doors for irregularities and for exploitation of the public".

The minister said that all these holes would be shut, because ordinary people were being forced to pay over the odds for drugs. He said that it was not just one pharmaceuticals importer that was overpricing its drugs, but several. Once the Ministry of Health completed its investigation into the matter it would report the case to the police.

Alithia

reported that the announcement of mergers and buy-outs by certain public companies had prevented share prices from tumbling, restricting the fall of the share index to 1.15 per cent. However, the banking sector posted losses of 4.04 per cent.

It said Sharelink, the price of which had risen by two pounds, had announced the purchase of large stakes in two investment firms, the start of operations in Greece and the setting up of a mutual funds company.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999

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