REPORTS in a British newspaper that the Turkish government is paying part of Cherie Blair’s £200,000 Sterling fee to defend the Orams shows that the case has political significance despite protest to the contrary by Downing Street, the government said yesterday.
Ordered to reappear on Thursday
RENEGADE M.E.P. Marios Matsakis was freed on an £18,000 bond yesterday subject to reappearing in a court in the north on Thursday, faced with the charge of stealing a Turkish flag.
‘The President is playing tough to get as much out of the staff as they can’
CYPRUS Airways (CY) pilots union PASIPY will hold a general assembly today to ask its members whether they will accept the government-approved rescue package for the company.
THE ARREST of Marios Matsakis on New Year’s Eve caused a political uproar and while President Papadopoulos, House President Christofias and other politicians rushed to support the MEP, some were still critical of his actions.
GREEK Cypriot hotel owners will be appealing to the European Court for what they claim is the misuse of their properties in occupied areas.
POLICE ARE investigating a string of hotel room thefts last Sunday in a Limassol hotel.
The first was reported by a 56-year-old foreigner who is currently visiting Cyprus, who told police that between 6.30pm and 8.10pm unknown person broke into his room and stole around £1,000 Sterling and around CY£680.
Aunt expresses elation at Gerabet Jekerjian’s release
THE AUNT of the Cypriot Lebanese man who was held hostage in Iraq for over four months said yesterday she was ecstatic to hear he was released by his captors at the weekend after the family paid a US$200,000 ransom.
“It’s the best Christmas present I could have ever had,” Rita Medzadourian told the Cyprus Mail.
The Police Air Rescue helicopter ‘Akritas’ saved a 32-year-old wounded man from a commercial ship outside of Limassol on Sunday afternoon. The man was transported to the Limassol General Hospital at around 5.30pm, where he was kept for treatment
THE BEGINNING of 2006 has been marred by three deaths on the island’s road.
On New Year’s night, 45-year-old Kyriacos Gregoriou from Dhali was killed instantly when he was hit by a car while crossing the road. The car was driven by a 24-year-old man.
The reasons behind the accident are various, said police spokesman Demetris Demetriou.
THERE was text joke doing being sent on Saturday evening after Dr Matsakis’ arrest which went as follows: “What Christmas present did Tassos send Talat? Matsakis.” This perfectly illustrates the predicament the MEP finds himself in.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
