A TURKISH Cypriot man was yesterday fined £700 by a Nicosia District Court for not declaring an old book, belonging to a Greek Cypriot refugee, to the Antiquities Department.
The case, which is the first of its kind in the Cypriot courts, saw 71-year-old Birol Hasan plead guilty to two charges and was fined £700 for the first charge without being fined for the second charge.
State Prosecutor Christiana Themistocleous charged Hasan, who stood impassively in the dock wearing a bright red sweater, with not declaring an antique book to the Antiquities Department but also charged him with being in possession of a large number of other books, in Greek and Turkish, also to have not been declared to the Antiquities Department.
“On March 21, 2005, the accused entered the checkpoint in Ayios Dhometios from the occupied north of the island,” said Themistocleous
“When customs officers inspected his car, they found a book in a nylon bag in the boot of his car. The book was seized and upon examination by Custom Officers and Officers of the Antiquities Department it was discovered that the book, which was published in 1702, was stamped that it belonged to Philologist Kyriakos Rigas.”
She adds, “The accused, who immediately admitted the charges, told police officers that he had found the book at the home of his recently deceased mother’s house in Lefkoniko, which is in the north. He is currently living in the occupied area of Nicosia”
Hasan’s mother had moved into the house of the plaintiff just after 1974.
Defence lawyer Mentes Aziz told Judge Lemonia Kaoutzani that his client had no idea about the book and could not make out the inscription pinpointing the owner because he could not read Greek. He also said Hasan had recently got in touch with the owner and that he had agreed to return to him all the books he had found in his mother’s house.
“The plaintiff in this case, who is also the owner of the book, Father Kyriakos Rigas has already forgiven my client and recently told police officers ‘I forgive him, may God forgive him. I don’t have a complaint against him’.
“Your honour, my client is truly sorry for what he has done and I would like the court to take into consideration the cooperation of my client throughout the entire investigation.”
Ruling on the verdict, Judge Kaoutzani said, “The court understands that this offence has been influenced by the Turkish invasion of the island and the current occupying forces on the island.”
The Judge adds, “Although the offences are serious and could carry a one year prison sentence for the first offence, the court has taken into consideration the accused’s immediate acceptance of the charges and his willingness to return the books to the plaintiff.
“I fine the accused £700 for the first charge and nothing for the second charge provided that the accused keeps his word and returns the books to the original owner.”
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