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Cyprus news updated daily courtesy of the Cyprus Mail Online.

Cyprus Mail

Papadopoulos laid to rest once more
by Sebastian Heller
12 Mar 2010 at 3:31am
Author:  Sebastian Heller

A SOMBRE mood without, however, an atmosphere of grief dominated at the re-burial ceremony for the former President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday.

The service was attended by approximately 250 people, including his close family and members of the government, with the Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis representing President Demetris Christofias.

The late President’s son, DIKO deputy Nicos Papadopoulos said: “For us, today, a vigil has finished.  Our own Golgotha is over.  And we hope our father will find, at last, peace.”

The memorial service, carried out by Isaias, Bishop of Tamassos, commended the former President to God, which was followed by a semi-spontaneous recital of the national anthem.  Those gathered closest to the grave threw flowers over the coffin whilst the anthem was being sung by the crowd and the final shovelfuls of earth were added.

An overcast, yet nevertheless bright and clement day, accompanied the service.  Though silence reigned during the actual service, excepting participation in its religious aspects and the national anthem, the unusual circumstances by means of which Papadopoulos’ remains were stolen soon became the most commented-upon topic once the service had ended.

“Even dead, they still fear him,” said one mourner of the significance which the former President was apparently still able to exert on the daily life of the Republic even after his death.

The general consensus prevailing amongst members of the public attending the service was that Papadopoulos was a strong and able leader, a statesman and a politician, who may have held to a hard and uncompromising line, yet was always motivated by patriotism and the good of his country.

“Al Capone does not have his sort of strength, it is a different strength, that of a leader and a strong and steady will,” said another.

Papadopoulos’s remains were stolen from his grave in December last year, the night before the first anniversary of his death.  They were recovered by police on Monday night buried in another person’s grave at a Nicosia cemetery, following a tip-off to his family about the location.

So far police investigations, and public opinion, contend that the theft of Papadopoulos’ remains was masterminded by prison lifer, rapist and murderer Antonis Prokopiou Kitas aka Al Capone from his prison cell. Two other men, one an Indian national and the other Kitas’ brother Mamas, are on remand for the macabre theft.

Once the remains were recovered, Papadopoulos’ widow Fotini expressed the family’s relief saying: "The discovery of our beloved Tassos' corpse has put an end to the agony that we have been living through the last three months and has brought back peace and tranquility to our family".


Guarding Kitas was ‘just for show’ court told
by Elias Hazou
12 Mar 2010 at 3:31am
Author:  Elias Hazou

PRISON guards who complained about the lax security around lifer Antonis Kitas, allegedly the mastermind behind the theft of Tassos Papadopoulos’ remains, were told by superiors not to make waves, the Nicosia court heard yesterday.

The convict’s brother and an Indian national are already in custody, and a fourth person  - allegedly the driver - was arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the theft.

Kitas, also known as ‘Al Capone’, was yesterday questioned for over five hours in the presence of the Nicosia police superintendent, and then threatened to go on hunger strike because he was put in isolation until March 26 over his alleged involvement in the grave robbery.

The convicted felon had made similar threats last year shortly after being recaptured after escaping from a Nicosia hospital where he was being treated for gastric reflux.

During yesterday’s hearing in the ongoing trial into the December 2008 escape, one of the guards on duty on the night told the court how Kitas roamed freely about the hospital.

On trial is the – now suspended - governor of the Central Prisons Michalis Hadjidemetriou.

Everyone from top to bottom in the correctional department knew of the Kitas situation, said the guard, Stelios Xanthou. Orders from above to keep Kitas under guard were only “for show,” he testified.

Whenever one of the guards would complain about the lax security, asking that they be relieved of the assignment, they were told by superiors not to make waves. “They told us to keep quiet and abide,” Xanthou told the court.

Xanthou said Kitas was not handcuffed or in any way restrained, and was even allowed to keep a laptop and several mobile phones. He also enjoyed the company of his Chinese wife in the hospital room. Xanthou’s shift at the hospital finished at 1am, shortly before Kitas escaped from the window of his hospital room.

His alleged involvement as the mastermind behind the theft of Papadopoulos’ remains only emerged this week after his brother Mamas Kitas and Indian national Sabrjit Singh were implicated in the theft.

Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said yesterday the fourth suspect in the grave robbery, identified only as a 58-year-old from a village of the Larnaca district, was placed in custody shortly after 6pm.

The spokesman said it was too early to say whether police would ask for a court remand. Katsounotos told the Mail last night that the man appeared to have been the driver for the grave robbers.

During the night of December 10 and 11, 2009 Singh and Mamas Kitas, allegedly went to the Ayios Nicolaos cemetery in Deftera using Mamas’ red pickup truck carrying with them a mattock, a shovel and a screwdriver.

In torrential rain, the thieves managed to remove the heavy granite slab covering the grave, and while Mamas dug out the remains, Singh acted as the lookout.

The two suspects loaded the remains into the back of the truck and took it to a cemetery in nearby Tseri, where they hid it under the slab of an existing grave. It was located on Monday night after Singh allegedly confessed and asked for a financial reward.


Our View: CTO needs to get its act together
12 Mar 2010 at 3:30am

TOURISM, once the driving force of the economy, has fallen on hard times. The decline, caused by lack of competitiveness, was evident before the recession hit European markets, but it has been speeded up as a result of the world economic downturn. Tourist arrivals and spending both decreased last year and figures for this January indicated that the decline was set to continue.

The government took some measures to help the industry last year, but it was little more than a damage limitation exercise – an attempt to apply the brakes on the downturn, by making the product slightly more competitive. Inevitably, the budget for advertising and promotion abroad was increased but this has become standard practice – every year more is spent in order to limit the decline.

This year, however, we might not even be spending any money on advertising and promotion because the CTO’s budget has become an issue of legal dispute between advertising agencies. It is the familiar story of a company failing to land a contract for the creative part of the campaign and appealing against the decision to award it to a rival tender. In this case, the company which had lost out appealed because the winning bid was too low – only €2.7 million compared to its €6.75 million tender. Interestingly, the CTO expected to have paid €8.75 million.

We cannot comment on the details of the dispute or comment about who is right and who is wrong as these cases are often judged on procedural technicalities. What we can say though, is that the delay would cause more problems for the ailing tourism industry. Ironically, this is the CTO’s advertising campaign for 2009-2012, which gives a good indication of the urgency with which the organisation operates.

It took a decision on its ‘new’ campaign with a year’s delay that could be extended by another several months, assuming the Tenders Review Board takes a speedy decision. For the time being, the old, tired, ‘Love Cyprus’ message would have to be used if there is to be any advertising campaign. This is the message that should have been replaced in 2009, but was not because the CTO, like all state organisations, is structurally incapable of taking any decision on time.

The Organisation’s director did not see that running the same old advertising campaign, with the same visuals and the same message would be a problem. But if she felt the old campaign would do its job, why had the CTO decided to commission a completely new campaign? The truth is that by the time the new campaign, which may have renewed interest in our tourist product, is ready to roll, most tourists would have already booked their holidays for this year.

We had hoped that the crisis the tourism industry was going through would have forced the CTO to get its act together, but nothing it seems could instil a sense of urgency in a state organisation.


Radical changes needed to clean up prisons
by Charles Charalambous
12 Mar 2010 at 3:30am
Author:  Charles Charalambous

THE INTENSE political row over criminal activity alleged being masterminded by inmates of Nicosia Central Prisons reached new heights yesterday, with House Legal Affairs Committee chairman and DISY deputy Ionas Nicolaou accusing President Demetris Christofias and Justice Minister Loucas Louca of failing to honour their commitment to clean up the prison service.

Appearing on a lunchtime current affairs programme on CyBC, Nicolaou alleged yesterday that, as just one example of the problem, drugs had been found stashed in a police vehicle for transporting inmates to the Central Prisons. “Who put the drugs in the police van? Someone from the outside? Was it not a prison officer who put them there?” he asked.

Referring to a statement made by Louca when he assumed office a year ago, that where there is the will, there is a way, Ionas Nicolaou said: “What conclusion should we draw from the unbridled corruption and repeated instances of this and worse phenomena, and the prevailing feeling of insecurity that most people have? That he doesn’t want to confront these phenomena effectively, or that he cannot?”

In a written statement issued yesterday afternoon, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou rejected Nicolaou’s “unfounded” allegations as “yet another instance of nihilistic opposition”. Stefanou said “the government is taking steps to confront corruption, and responsibly and systematically is working against this phenomenon”, adding that “Mr Nicolaou may choose to ignore these efforts”.

Responding to Nicoloau’s comments, House Crime Committee chairman and AKEL deputy Yiannakis Thoma said that as soon as someone like career criminal Antonis Kitas or anyone else has a team of criminal accomplices outside the Central Prisons, then all it takes is for word to passed outside the prison for further crimes to be committed to order.

Ombudswoman Iliana Nicoloau said yesterday that the problems at the Central Prisons cannot be met with partial measures, but with a radical solution to problems that have been present for years.

Nicoloau that since 2000, her office had produced three reports containing several proposals, but these simply had not been taken into account. For example, she said that apart from the main entrance to the Central Prisons, there are at least six other easy points of access, and referred to a new initiative to convince prison officers to agree to go through checks when entering the premises.

“An understanding reached on the basis of everyone putting their cards on the table, without suggesting that we are disrespecting anybody or casting aspersions against them” can lead to progress on this point, she said.

Andreas Oratis, president of the prison employees’ branch of public employees union PASYDY, told CyBC that they are not against checks on prison staff, but care should be taken to protect staff from malicious allegations. In a press statement, Oratis said that his union had always co-operated with the prison authorities, and would be the first to want any corrupt prison officer to be removed from his post.

Meanwhile, he said, “a lot of people knew and know what really goes on in the Central Prisons, but then appear in the media to say the exact opposite, at the same time without of course having taken any serious decision on improving the conditions in the Central Prisons.” Instead, he added, “certain people continue to bombard the prison staff with vague allegations, without anything specific to back them up.”

One person who paid regular visits to an inmate in Nicosia Central Prisons – and did not wish to be named – told the Mail that in her experience, visitors had to go through extensive checks.

“If my experience is typical, then it is inconceivable that illegal items such as mobile phones and drugs could be brought into the prison by visitors without the knowledge of the prison officers”, she said.


Water prices could double by year end
by Charles Charalambous
12 Mar 2010 at 3:29am
Author:  Charles Charalambous

WATER PRICES look set to as much as double by the end of the year due to Cyprus’ obligation to comply with the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD), Cyprus Water Development Department (CWDD) director Sofoclis Aletraris said yesterday.

A briefing paper commissioned by the CWDD projects price increases of between 25 and 165 per cent, depending on which pricing model is finally approved by the Council of Ministers.

Aletraris told the Mail that the EU directive “obliges us to charge to recover our costs for water services”. He added that the target is for the new tariff to allow 100 per cent recovery of costs for drinking water, but “there would probably be room for a subsidy” of charges for water for farming use, as the directive allows consideration to be given to “the social, environmental and economic effects of the recovery”.

The CWDD is in favour of a flat rate being applied across the whole island, but the briefing paper also outlines an alternative scenario of pricing by district. Aletraris said that “a lot of people feel hard done by because they are paying much more for water in their district compared to others”.

The paper bases its indicative new domestic pricing on the example of a four-member family consuming 100 litres per person, giving a total consumption of 146 cubic metres per household.

Under the flat rate scenario, every household would pay €206.90 in 2010, derived from a single price of €1.15 per cubic metre plus €39 annual standing charge. In Nicosia this would be a rise of 25 per cent (from €165.54), in Larnaca 100 per cent (from €103.32), in Limassol 165 per cent (from €78.03) and in Paphos 122 per cent (from €93.10).

Prices would rise further to €241.80 in 2013, and finally to €270.32 in 2015, based on €1.42 per cubic metre plus €63 annual standing charge. This means that in five years’ time prices will have risen 63 per cent in Nicosia, 162 per cent in Larnaca, 246 per cent in Limassol and 190 per cent in Paphos.

Under the scenario of pricing by district, in 2010 households in Nicosia would pay €227.34 (up 37 per cent), in Larnaca €262.38 (up 154 per cent), Limassol €145.58 (up 87 per cent) and Paphos €240.48 (up 158 per cent).

In 2015, prices would rise further to €270.32 in Nicosia (up 63 per cent), €306.82 in Larnaca (up 197 per cent), €261.56 in Limassol (up 235 per cent) and €312.66 in Paphos (up 236 per cent).

Asked if the increases need to be this large, Aletraris said that the scale of the price increases and the basis on which they will be applied will only be decided after a public consultation exercise – involving domestic as well as commercial consumers – is carried out on March 22-24. But with the publication of the briefing paper, “at least now we know how much water really costs”, he added.

Speaking to state broadcaster CyBC, Aletraris said: “We should not scare people into thinking (the price of) water will be painful, that prices will be really prohibitive.”

He added that “the final decision on prices rests with the (Agriculture) Ministry. We will advise the ministry of our view, and the ministry will table a proposal on the final prices to the Council of Ministers”.

The Water Framework Directive

The EU’s Water Framework Directive (WDF), adopted in 2000, expands the scope of water protection to all waters – rivers, lakes, coastal waters and groundwaters – and sets clear objectives that a “good status” (i.e. within acceptable chemical and ecological parameters) must be achieved for all European waters by 2015, and that water use be sustainable throughout Europe.

Among other things, the WFD requires member states to develop water-pricing policies where all users – agricultural, industrial and households – contribute in an appropriate way. Also, reflecting the need to apply a consistent approach to issues like pollution along the whole length of big trans-European rivers like the Danube and the Rhine, it ensures that the polluter pays for any pollution.

According to the European Commission brochure explaining the WDF, “water is not a commercial product like any other, but should be seen as a precious heritage. …. Studies show that careful water pricing acts as an incentive for the long-term sustainable use of water resources and one study by the European Environment Agency found that introducing metering brings immediate savings in water use of an estimated 10-25 per cent of consumption.

Article 9 of the directive says that member states should “ensure by 2010 that water-pricing policies provide adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently, and thereby contribute to the environmental objectives of this Directive”.


There is no Spanish ‘initiative’
by Stefanos Evripidou
12 Mar 2010 at 3:28am
Author:  Stefanos Evripidou

SPAIN IS not taking any initiatives to organise an international conference on the Cyprus problem, said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos yesterday.

Speaking after a meeting with Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou in Nicosia, Moratinos said Spain could use its position at the helm of the EU rotating presidency and its “excellent relations” with Turkey to “help the parties to move forward”.

Following reports that Spain was trying to initiate dialogue between President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a four or five-party meeting, including the three guarantor powers and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, Moratinos stated clearly: “There is not this initiative at all.”

Instead, Spain is trying “to use our political and diplomatic involvement” so that the parties involved find a way to progress in the talks.

“So, the initiative is active diplomatic and political involvement but there is no specific proposal and of course not an international conference,” he added.

Kyprianou noted that the only recent initiative taken for an international conference was by Erdogan which had “the wrong parameters”.

“Any international discussion on the Cyprus problem must include the Republic of Cyprus,” said Kyprianou, adding, “This method must not be used to diminish the Republic of Cyprus to a community or to upgrade the Turkish Cypriot community to a state.”

Moratinos, who also met with Christofias yesterday, expressed his commitment to support ongoing negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem.

“I think it is a very critical moment for the future of this negotiation and of course whatever support, assistance, Spain and the rotating Presidency can do, we will be able to do so,” he said.

The Spanish minister praised Christofias’ “very positive attitude” in advancing in the talks “as much as they can of course respecting their positions, their principles and commitment to his country and his people”.

While there may be no concrete proposal for an international meeting on Cyprus, it is clear that steps have been taken to sound out the interested parties on such a gathering. Some months back, Britain was reported to have sought a meeting of guarantor powers to discuss the issue of security and guarantees for a united Cyprus.

Spain, meanwhile, has also engaged in a little shuttle diplomacy, using its good relations with the two countries to bring the Greek Cypriots and Turks closer together. Some analysts have long argued that a big obstacle to a solution is the lack of trust and dialogue between Turkey and Cyprus.

Given that the international community believes both communities on the island and the two “motherlands” are in favour of a solution at this particular juncture, then closing the gap in trust between Nicosia and Ankara seems like the obvious course to follow.

Belgian Ambassador to Ankara Pol De Witte was quoted in Hurriyet Daily News saying that Spain was also holding talks to unblock the energy chapter in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, which Cyprus is effectively blocking.

“Energy security is extremely important for European countries. It is definitely a high priority for the Spanish presidency, but it has not done a deal yet. You can be sure that if it is not solved by the end of June, our government will try to put things in order,” he was quoted saying.

Moratinos and Kyprianou also discussed the Middle East and Mediterranean affairs with the Spanish minister noting their concern “about the announcement of new settlements in Jerusalem”.

He said he expressed deep concern as well as hope in a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart “that this settlements activity will be ended”.


‘Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’
by Stefanos Evripidou
12 Mar 2010 at 3:28am
Author:  Stefanos Evripidou

THE GREEK Cypriot side is free to change its own proposals like the rotating presidency but then so is the Turkish Cypriot side, warned Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

Asked about the prospect of President Demetris Christofias changing his proposal for a rotating presidency, Talat noted that nothing is agreed in the negotiations until everything is agreed.

“So he is free to change his proposals, but I will also be free to change my proposals. So I strongly advise him not to,” said Talat.

Talat held a working lunch with DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades yesterday at the Saray Hotel in the north. Having discussed the latest decision by the European Court of Human Rights on the north’s property commission, Talat told reporters that the decision “underlines once more the importance of finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem”.

The Turkish Cypriot leader said his statements had been misinterpreted by the Greek Cypriot press and that the impression was given that he would now depend on the ECHR decision in the talks. “No, I said that we must solve the property issue through political negotiations, through political means.”

Anastassiades said he discussed the ECHR decision as well as the Orams case with Talat. “For this reason, we both agreed that the best solution on the property issue is the final, comprehensive solution of the Cyprus issue because on the one hand we have the ECHR decision, and on the other the Orams case from the European Court of Justice, which considers illegal any development of Greek Cypriot properties, particularly by Europeans. As such, it’s not about one scoring a victory over the other,” said Anastassiades.

Asked whether he would take up the invite by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to visit Washington, Talat said he didn’t have four days free to go to the US. He said he was also “hesitant” because the Americans “did not think about political equality when they made this invitation”.


Third Turkish Cypriot candidate could scupper Eroglu
by Simon Bahceli
12 Mar 2010 at 3:27am
Author:  Simon Bahceli

THE EMERGENCE of a third candidate in the north’s April 18 ‘presidential’ election yesterday looked set to threaten front runner Dervish Eroglu’s chances of victory.

Former Turkish Cypriot ‘foreign minister’ and staunch nationalist Tahsin Ertugruloglu, who is currently the National Unity Party’s (UBP’s) deputy for north Nicosia, announced his candidacy last night after returning to the island following a series of meetings with Turkish officials in Ankara. These meetings included one on Wednesday with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who Ertugruloglu is thought to have sought the approval of before deciding to run for office.

The errant deputy’s candidacy will cause great annoyance to UBP supporters, the majority of whom are believed to be loyal to Eroglu.  Furthermore, the appearance of fellow UBP member Ertugruloglu on ballot slips is far more likely to erode support for Eroglu than for left-wing opponent and incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat.

Whether Ankara favours Ertugruloglu’s candidacy was not entirely clear yesterday. Despite inviting him to Ankara for a meeting on Monday, the Turkish President did not actually get round to seeing him until Wednesday afternoon. Furthermore, it is widely assumed, especially in the diplomatic community,  that the Turkish government wishes to see the moderate, pro-solution Talat remain in charge for the time being. Ankara will however be careful not to be seen as having favourites in the breakaway north.

Some however believe the emergence of a third candidate will have little effect on the eventual outcome of the election.

“I don’t believe Ertugruloglu will create a deep impact. It will only force a second round of voting,” head of the Cyprus Policy Centre at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in Famagusta Ahmet Sozen told the Cyprus Mail yesterday. Similar to the voting system in the south, a candidate has to receive more than 50 per cent in the first round to win outright. If none does, the two highest scoring candidates go head to head.

Although coming from the same party, Ertugruloglu is seen as more of a nationalistic hardliner than his elder opponent. According to Sozen, his support in this election will come from those who used to support former nationalist leader Rauf Denktash. Indeed, the Democrat Party (DP), which his son Serdar Denktash now leads, has offered Ertugruloglu its support in the upcoming election.

It is not immediately clear what Ertugruloglu stands to gain by running; most agree he is unlikely to gain more than third place on April 18. However analysts reckon his aim may simply be to reap revenge on Eroglu by scuppering his third attempt at becoming ‘president’ of the north. Ertugruloglu was widely reported as being “incensed” when Eroglu refused to hand him a ‘ministry’ on becoming ‘prime minister’ last April.

Sozen believes that through his candidacy Ertugruloglu is dicing with his future in the UBP and that his move will either win him leadership of the party, through Eroglu’s third failure to become ‘president’, or his expulsion. But expulsion would also come at a price for the UBP, as Ertugruloglu is one of 26 UBP deputies in the north’s ‘parliament’ of 50 deputies. If he goes, so does the UBP ‘government’.

How much support Ertugruloglu can garners among the north’s voters remains a total mystery as opinion polls so far have only included the names of Talat and Eroglu. According to one published on March 6, Eroglu will gain 53 per cent vote and Talat 47 per cent.


Cyprus is an ‘open landfill’
by George Psyllides
12 Mar 2010 at 3:27am
Author:  George Psyllides

ABANDONED landfills are one of the most serious environmental problems in Cyprus, lawmakers said yesterday.

“While they are closed, they continue to be sources of pollution; the ground continues to be contaminated; the aquifers; toxic substances are produced and foul smell,” House Environment Committee chairman Andreas Fakontis told reporters.

Fakontis added that people continue to dump rubbish in these landfills illegally.

The AKEL lawmaker said 113 landfills are currently in operation across Cyprus, which should be restored as soon as possible.

DISY deputy Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis described Cyprus as an “open landfill.”

Unfortunately we notice there is absolutely no policy in relation with scaling back the production of refuse, Hadjiyiannis said.

He added that no measures are taken to cut waste and save money by having smaller waste processing units.

Fakontis said priority in restoring landfills will be given to the Paphos, Larnaca and Famagusta districts.

He also stressed the importance of inspectors who will be responsible to penalise those who dump waste illegally by imposing a substantial on-the-spot fine.

Fakontis said the government has given its okay but these ‘green’ inspectors have not been appointed yet.

The committee will sent a letter to Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis in a bid to expedite the procedure and tackle the problem.

Cypriots produce around 700 kilos of rubbish per capita each year, only 45 kilos less than the average American but some 180 kilos more per person than the average European, according to Eurostat figures.


Wheel is a useless invention for disabled people in Cyprus
12 Mar 2010 at 3:26am

THE PARAPLEGIC Association yesterday called on local authorities to protect the right of all people to have proper access to their environment and enjoy equal opportunities.

It accused local authorities of failing to protect the quality of life of all residents, calling on them to launch a campaign to ensure disability access for both old and new buildings, as provided by law.

“The wheel, although considered one of the most significant inventions and tools for man, still has to overcome steps that prevent access to people in wheelchairs,” said an announcement by the association.

“One of the most significant problems faced by people with mobility disabilities in our country is the lack of infrastructure in the buildings so that they may visit them,” it added.

Apart from old buildings that did not include access for the disabled in their design, new buildings are also being built without any consideration for the disabled.

The association referred to a law implemented in 1999 which includes specifications that allow access for all people in buildings, noting that “unfortunately, in recent years, with the acceptance of the local authorities, we have seen a fair amount of new buildings that are not accessible”.

Despite complaints to all local authorities, particularly that of the capital, nothing has been done to put an end to this illegality which violates the rights of disabled people, leading to their marginalisation and social exclusion.



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