By Charlie Charalambous
WITH THE government reeling from accusations of collusion with a noted coup conspirator, President Clerides’ Aegean cruise was yesterday interrupted for a definitive response to the Vintzilaios controversy.
The Presidential Palace called on President Clerides to clear up the matter of who had been responsible for allowing persona non grata Vasilis Vintzilaios to visit Cyprus.
A statement issued yesterday on behalf of Clerides said the President had instructed Justice Minister Nicos Koshis to issue a special short-stay permit to Vintzilaios so that he could deal with financial matters pending since the death of businessman Yiangos Papadopoulos.
The official statement also made clear that Papadopoulos had donated a “respectable sum of money” towards the election campaign of presidential candidate George Iacovou, who was backed by Akel.
Akel dismissed the president’s explanation as “petty” and “sad”, and said financial reasons could be no excuse for allowing a “criminal” like Vintzilaios to enter the island.
The party also pointed out that it was Clerides’ government, and not Iacovou, who had closer links with the coupist.
Adding his weight, Edek leader Vassos Lyssarides said that Clerides owed the Cypriot people a “public apology” and said the affair was nothing short of a scandal.
Government unity seemed to be crumbling rapidly yesterday as the anti-coup offensive, led by Akel, stirred signs of discontent among it owns ministers.
Defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou – representing seasoned coup-bashers Edek in the coalition government – pulled no punches when he described Vasilis Vintzilaios as “junta scum”.
He also termed the visit as an “extreme provocation to the democratic principles of the Cypriot people.”
With coalition members Edek and the United Democrats openly critical, the Clerides government looks in for a torrid time.
Akel, Edek, the United Democrats and Diko have called for heads to roll after the government admitted that chief coup conspirator Vintzilaios was allowed free entry into Cyprus, despite being on the stop list.
Acting president Spyros Kyprianou said yesterday he had the list of 18 known coupists who were on the stop list, and that Vinztilaios’ name was right at the top.
After Kyprianou ordered an investigation on Monday, Koshis revealed that permission had been given to the junta’s intelligence chief and Eoka B stalwart to enter the country for a personal visit.
The Justice Ministry issued an official response, which said that Vintzilaios had been allowed permission to visit for five days from July 23 to tie up some outstanding financial matters.
This explanation only caused further uproar yesterday when Akel’s Demetris Christofias said Koshis had no right to grant permission to Vintzilaios.
“The Justice Minister does not have the authority to grant such permission as it is the Interior Minister who has jurisdiction,” said the Akel boss.
Christofias suggested that Koshis had been asked to handle the matter because he was a coupist sympathiser and that Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides had been kept in the dark because he was not.
“Policy seems to be applied by ministers who are friends of the coupists and those who are not coupist sympathisers don’t seem to know what is going on.”
Special Branch chief Nicos Iaonnou and Dinos Michaelides have said they had no knowledge of Vintzilaios entering the Republic.
Their position on the matter has only helped fan the allegations of conspiracy theorists.
