Minister pledges no cover-up in land scam probe

INTERIOR Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou said yesterday he could not rule out more arrests in the Turkish Cypriot property scam, which has already seen four civil servants remanded in custody.

Christodoulou told reporters the government was determined to uncover all incidents involving the illegal transfer of land.

The Minister said there would be no cover-ups and no favours to anyone implicated in the scandal.

Four employees of the Lands and Surveys Department were remanded in custody for eight days on Saturday on suspicion of being involved in the illegal transfer of Turkish Cypriot land in the remote Tylliria area east of Polis.

The land was later allegedly sold to an investment company for around £1 million.

” I think we can crack this case in court,”Christodoulou said yesterday. ” It won’t be easy because we do not know the full extent, but we have decided to investigate it thoroughly.”

Christodoulou said so far the issue involved around 10-12 cases and said he could not rule out more arrests in the near future.

There won’t be any favours shown to anyone,”he said. ” Police have been ordered strictly to enforce the law concerning everyone involved.”

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