Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 98-10-06

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

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus right on course for the EU

[02] Stolen icons found in dustbin liners

[03] Jensen killers abandon appeal

[04] Disy denies plotting against Kyprianou

[05] Report finds water board chief guilty

[06] UN probes duty-free scam

[07] Minister's Akamas commitment

[08] Loucaides stands down to take up top Euro job

[09] Drivers' strike disrupts fuel supplies

[10] Concern over Turkish threat to take over enclaved school

[11] Bank warning over Nigerian scam

[12] Defence ministers fly in to Cyprus

[13] Three-horse race for the championship

[01] Cyprus right on course for the EU

CYPRUS is right on course for accession to the European Union and the next stage can now move onto the fast track. Detailed negotiations will begin as planned on November 10, in spite of demands from France, Germany and the Netherlands that the island be told it can join only after ending its division.

Speaking in Luxembourg yesterday, Wolfgang Schussel, Foreign Minister of Austria, which holds the current EU presidency, reiterated earlier statements that the start of enlargement talks will "help facilitate" a solution to the Cyprus problem. He also reconfirmed that the EU wants a political solution under the aegis of the United Nations

Schussel said that screening talks which began on March 31 with Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovenia have proceeded so well that the enlargement talks can now move at an accelerated pace.

The reunification before accession demand has been ignored.

And Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said the Turkish side had rebuffed all attempts to include Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus' accession bid.

It would be regrettable if a divided Cyprus were to join the Eu, Pangalos said, but he pointed out that the division would not be an "obstacle" as "a divided Germany" had helped to create the EU.

Out of all the countries which had insisted on Cyprus' reunification before EU accession, only France had made it an actual pre-condition, the Greek Foreign Minister added. "And they received an appropriate response," he said.

On his part, however, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine warned "there cannot be automatic membership for a divided Cyprus".

Commenting on the EU decision to move negotiations onto the fast track, Cyprus' Chief EU Negotiator George Vassiliou said he was satisfied with the decision, and that it was "another obstacle" overcome. Vassiliou yesterday briefed President Glafcos Clerides and political leaders on the current state of Cyprus' EU bid.

Starting today in Luxembourg, Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides will participate in the first Ministerial Session of the European Conference. Participating are the 15 member states and eleven candidate countries. The Swiss Foreign Minister will be observing proceedings but, in spite of the offer of a similar role, Turkey has refused to take part.

The session is focusing on organised crime and environmental co-operation.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[02] Stolen icons found in dustbin liners

ICONS stolen last month from the Church of the Apostle Barnabas and Saint Hillarion, Peristerona, were found yesterday afternoon, Justice Minister Nicos Koshis announced last night.

He said the icons were found as a result of police investigations and information received.

The stolen artworks, which date from the 19th century, were found at around 6pm, wrapped in black plastic dustbin liners. They had been secreted in a dried-up pond in a field between Dali and Lymbion. Police retained the icons for fingerprinting.

Among the icons taken from the church are depictions of Saint Barnabas and Hillarion, dating from around 1816, and portraits of Saint Nicholas, Saint Charalambos and the ascension of Christ, all of which date from 1849. All are considered priceless.

During the robbery, which occurred on the night of September 17-18, the church's collection box was also broken into, although it is not known how much money was taken. Immediately after the theft, all ports and airports were put on alert, as it was feared the pieces had been taken by an antiques-smuggling ring which would try and take them abroad to sell.

Police are still hunting the thieves.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[03] Jensen killers abandon appeal

THREE British soldiers serving life for killing Danish tour guide Louise Jensen yesterday abandoned an appeal to have their convictions overturned.

When appeal proceedings got under way at the Supreme Court last May, the three ex-soldiers were aiming to walk free by overturning their convictions on legal technicalities.

Now lawyers have dropped this approach, they will instead concentrate on having their clients' sentences reduced.

Justin Fowler, 30, from Falmouth, Alan Ford, 29, from Birmingham and Geoff Pernell, 27, from Oldbury, West Midlands were jailed for life without remission in March 1996 for the abduction and manslaughter of Jensen four years ago.

"We decided it would be more beneficial if we concentrated on the issue of sentencing, since we were not able to overrule the abduction, conspiracy to abduct and attempted rape charges," Pernell's lawyer Antonis Andreou said yesterday.

Legal arguments will now focus on the length of sentence, which the defence lawyers have described as "excessively harsh" and "unprecedented" for a manslaughter conviction.

"A life sentence under any circumstances is unacceptable," said Fowler's lawyer Christos Pourgourides after yesterday's brief Supreme Court hearing.

The average sentence for manslaughter in Cyprus is around 15 years, which means the three former British soldiers could be released in five years as the sentence would be counted from the time of their arrest.

Furthermore, the prison year is in fact only nine months, and at each presidential election a quarter of the sentence is chopped off (the next one is 2002).

Initially, the prosecution had applied to have fresh evidence put before the Supreme Court with the testimony of retired British detective Michael Flack.

Flack - who last year served time in the same Nicosia Central Prison as the Jensen killers - claimed that Fowler had confessed to him that he killed the 23-year-old tour guide.

Andreou and Ford's lawyer, Tassos Katsikides, supported the prosecution's request.

But Pourgourides objected to the request. The Supreme Court agreed to the objection, ruling that Flack's testimony served no purpose as fresh evidence could not be introduced after the trial.

During the criminal trial, one of the longest and most expensive in Cypriot legal history, the three soldiers declined to testify; their police statements were submitted as evidence.

Jensen was sexually assaulted and brutally beaten to death with a spade after being abducted from a petrol station in Ayia Napa on September 13, 1994.

Her naked and battered body was found two days later in a shallow grave, a few hundred yards away from a police station.

The appeal hearing continues tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[04] Disy denies plotting against Kyprianou

DISY yesterday dispelled rumours that it was preparing to tighten the screws on Diko leader Spyros Kyprianou by pushing for a corruption probe at the House.

Reports suggested that during a weekend meeting of Disy's executive committee, members of the party's parliamentary group had pushed for unlawful enrichment allegations against Kyprianou's family to be raised at the House Watchdog Committee on Thursday.

Disy deputy and committee member Rikkos Erotocritou said yesterday that the weekend meeting had been in order to brief the party on the range of corruption allegations, not to plan the downfall of Kyprianou.

"It was to inform the leader and the party on what has developed, not to take any decisions," said Erotocritou.

He added that the committee - whose chairman Christos Pourgourides has charged Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides with 14 counts corruption - would delay any further probe so as not to conflict with the one currently being carried out by Auditor-general Spyros Christou.

But Akel deputy Takis Hadjigeorgiou said the committee had no obligation to wait for the findings of the Auditor-general before conducting its own enquiries into corruption against public figures.

"We want a comprehensive investigation, but we do not want to condemn anyone, even if the initial evidence shows there might be a problem," said Hadjigeorgiou.

He said there was nothing to stop deputies from discussing the Kyprianou allegations, but said Akel had no evidence to make such a move.

Kyprianou has dismissed allegations that members of his family obtained property at knockdown prices in the Engomi suburb of Nicosia.

Meanwhile the government yesterday brushed aside newspaper reports that President Clerides was under pressure to sack Michaelides.

Government spokesman Christos Stylianides told his daily press briefing the president still backed his minister:

"The president's statements before leaving for New York are still valid," said Stylianides.

The spokesman said the government was determined to get to the bottom of the corruption scandals, but at the same time follow the proper procedures.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[05] Report finds water board chief guilty

Agriculture Minister Costas Themistocleous said yesterday the report had found Christodoulou guilty of two violations - abuse of power and bringing the name of the civil service into disrepute.

Christodoulou is accused of using public employees and equipment in the building of his house earlier this year.

An official police investigation into the case is continuing.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[06] UN probes duty-free scam

Spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski refused to comment on what he called a "pending investigation".

The UN announced in New York on Saturday that it was investigating possible abuses by a small number of Unficyp peacekeepers.

The discrepancy was discovered during a routine check and an investigation was immediately launched, according to UN spokesman Fred Eckhard.

He said a formal report was expected to be sent to UN headquarters, and when the investigation was completed "necessary action will be taken in accordance with UN rules".

Unficyp has a strength of around 1,400 troops and civilian police from Britain, Argentina, Ireland, Austria and others.

Sources in New York told the Reuters news agency that Unficyp chief of mission Dame Ann Hercus was aware of the potential scandal and had contacted the UN ambassadors of the nations involved.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[07] Minister's Akamas commitment

AGRICULTURE Minister Costas Themistocleous has committed himself to measures for the protection of the Akamas by the end of the year, according to the international environmental group Greenpeace.

In a statement issued yesterday following the minister's Sunday visit to the Greenpeace ship Sirius at Larnaca, Greenpeace said Themistocleous had promised an end to the Akamas saga by the end of 1998.

"We as the government need a special regime for Akamas in order to protect it as a national park," Themistocleous said during his visit to the ship.

"We will also take into consideration the interests of the local communities so they will not have to pay the price for what in other terms is a correct decision by the government."

While aboard the Sirius, Themistocleous met the ship's captain and crew and was briefed by Greenpeace members about their campaigns in the Mediterranean. He was also given a tour of the ship and viewed the exhibition 'Year of the Ocean'.

"After years of campaigning, we are glad to see that the government of Cyprus is getting serious in protecting the Akamas," said Greenpeace's Cyprus representative Irene Constantinou.

"We will however only know for sure for the protection of the Akamas when President Clerides signs the proposed bill without introducing any changes or watering it down.

"If the Akamas peninsula is protected this year, which has been declared by the United Nations as the Year of the Oceans, the government of Cyprus will put itself on the map of the worldwide environmentally sensitive countries. This protected area will be a landmark decision to be followed as an example by other countries of the region."

The Sirius arrived in Cyprus last Tuesday as part of its annual tour of the Eastern Mediterranean. It was its ninth visit to the island.

It had already docked in Portugal, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel on its voyage which began in June.

Greenpeace has had a long-running campaign for the protection of the Akamas peninsula and the protection of the green turtle that it fears is endangered by development in the region.

They want the government to implement legislation to enact the World Bank recommendations that the Akamas be declared a national park.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[08] Loucaides stands down to take up top Euro job

With his new appointment effective from November 1, Loucaides visited the Presidential Palace yesterday to submit his resignation in writing to President Clerides.

"I handed the president my resignation in writing and he wished me good luck in my new job," Loucaides said afterwards.

Clerides has yet to appoint his successor.

Loucaides spent 23 years as deputy Attorney-general and has always been an outspoken advocate of human rights. He voted against Cyprus in the landmark Modinos gay rights case at the European Court of Human Rights in 1993.

That ruling paved the way to the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults last May.

Under the terms of his new appointment, Loucaides will become a full-time judge and will take up residence in Strasbourg.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[09] Drivers' strike disrupts fuel supplies

Ports, petrol stations, airports, factories and quarries were all affected after tanker drivers working for BP, Esso, and Mobil oils - all suppliers of the fuel transport company Saipoil - expressed their disapproval outside the buildings of the three multinational companies in Larnaca.

The event which sparked the turmoil was an accident which had happened in Pissouri four and a half months ago, involving driver Nicos Zougrou, who has since been suspended pending the outcome of his trial by the Limassol district court.

Zougrou's colleagues are claiming the driver has in fact been fired and are calling for his reinstatement.

Larnaca airport was not affected due to the existence of large fuel stocks in storage reserves at the airport.

Not so fortunate, however, were three cruise ships at Limassol port, which remained without fuel supply.

A meeting between union representatives and management of the three companies involved resulted in a proposal to bring Zougrou back to work for the next fortnight until unions and company representatives meet again to discuss the issue.

But the strikers were not impressed by the proposal, demanding to see Zougrou back for good.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[10] Concern over Turkish threat to take over enclaved school

UNFICYP and the government are looking into reports from the occupied areas that a Turkish Cypriot official is planning to convert one of two Greek Cypriot schools into a Turkish school.

According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris, the 'Mayor&#146; of occupied Rizokarpasso, Arif Ozbayrak, has said that one of the two enclaved schools in the village will be appropriated for the school year 1999-2000.

Speaking to journalists on the problems facing the remote area, Ozbayrak said that while the 650-strong Turkish Cypriot population of the village had only one school, the 350 Greek Cypriots had two, "which was unfair".

Kibris pointed out his action would be "illegal".

Unficyp spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski said yesterday the UN was looking into the reports to verify whether there was any truth to them.

And Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Takis Christopoulos said he had only just been informed of the report.

"We are still trying to find out what is going on," he said.

"There is no reason why they should take the school."

Christopoulos said there were 30 Greek Cypriot pupils attending elementary school in the north. There are no secondary schools because Greek Cypriot children over the age of 16 are forced to come south and live with relatives to complete their secondary education.

Christopoulos said the Turkish side had no right to take the school which was Greek Cypriot property and which had recently been renovated and repaired by the Cyprus government.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[11] Bank warning over Nigerian scam

In a statement issued yesterday, the bank said there had been a huge increase in the number of letters sent over recent months, and that both private individuals and businesses should be aware of these.

The letters offer vast profits to those who agree to let the fraudsters use their bank accounts to launder money from illegal transactions, usually committed at the expense of state companies in Nigeria.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[12] Defence ministers fly in to Cyprus

George Robertson and Jorge Dominguez are expected to meet today over breakfast at the British High Commission, before inspecting a joint British- Argentinian Unficyp guard of honour. They will then watch a reserve training exercise and visit the buffer zone.

Dominguez arrived at Larnaca International Airport and made no statements, while Robertson arrived at RAF Akrotiri.

Argentina and Britain contribute 400 troops each to the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus. British troops have been part of the force since its inception in 1964, while Argentinian soldiers have been on the island since 1993.

Tuesday, October 06, 1998

[13] Three-horse race for the championship

THE FIGHT for the championship is already looking like a three-horse race, just four fixtures into the new season.

Champions Anorthosis, last season's runners-up Omonia and Apoel all have 10 points at the top of the league table. Whether Apoel will be able to stay the distance, is another matter, while Apollonas, who suffered their third defeat of the season on Sunday, must be out of the running.

Apollonas, visibly tired after their game in the Czech Republic on Thursday which went into extra-time, offered little resistance to Anorthosis going down 3-1.

Former Apollonas player Slobodan Krismarevic scored a hat-trick for the visitors while Milenko Spoliaric got the consolation goal from the penalty spot. It was the first penalty to be converted this season at the Tsirion stadium, where where four players had failed to score from the spot.

Salamina were furious with referee Andronikou, who played a significant part in their 3-2 home defeat by Omonia. Salamina coach Andreas Mouskallis described some of the refereeing decisions as a "crime" against his club.

With the score at 1-1, (Michic had put Salamina in front and Georgiou equalised for Omonia), Andronikou awarded a harsh penalty for a foul on German striker Rainer Rauffman. The Salamina keeper Markou blocked Rauffman's penalty, but the ref asked for it to be retaken and the German scored at the second attempt.

Gitanov scored Omonia's third before Nicolaou replied for Salamina who had played the second half with 10 men.

After hitting six against Apollonas, 10 days ago Ethnikos Achna, the best counter-attacking side in the league, crushed Aek 5-2 in Larnaca. Jurev scored a hat-trick while Mousic and Poyadjis got a goal each.

Eleftheriou and Marcou scored for Aek, who have managed only four points from four games.

Apoel were far from impressive in defeating promoted Olmpiakos 2-0 in the Nicosia derby. It was the first game this season that captain Yiannos Ioannou had failed to score.

His replacement, in the last five minutes, Yiasemakis scored instead in the final minute of the game. Christodoulou had given them the lead in the first half.

Botomo club Evagoras scored their first point of the season after a goalless draw away to newly-promoted Doxa, who have only managed to score once in four games.

Ael, won their second Limassol derby by crushing Aris 4-0 on Saturday night, while Alki held Paralimni to a 1-1 draw.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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