GREENS yesterday protested that the new Ayia Napa to Protaras highway had been re-routed through a forest on the say-so of private landowners.

The new road was originally routed through plots belonging to these landowners, but they used their influence to ensure their land was not affected while the trees got the chop, the Ecological Movement group alleged.

The group issued a photograph of the affected trees, declaring: “These trees are now firewood.”

The greens said they had alerted the government to this “unacceptable scheming” two weeks ago but nothing had been done.

“We asked the Communications Minister to look into the matter. So far, all that has happened is that the destruction has continued,” the Ecological Movement stated.

The group said a “ridiculous bend” had been put in the new road to accomodate the big landowners’ interests. This would increase the cost of the road, the group said, making this both an ecological and economic “scandal.”

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