TWO GREEK pop stars were in a Nicosia Court yesterday after a lawsuit was filed against them by a popular Nicosia club owner.
The owner of Gate club in Nicosia has launched a civil suit against Greek pop singers Giorgos Alkaios and Dionysis Schinas, as well as the company representing them in Cyprus, claiming £100,000 in damages after they reportedly backed out of concert they had allegedly agreed to perform at his club back in February 2002.
Yesterday onlookers in court looked astounded and baffled as they saw the two Greek icons standing in the court hallways talking to their lawyers.
Schinas and Alkaios were also seen drinking coffee at the local court coffeehouse.
The lawyers representing the nightclub, which now operates as the Dot Club, claim that his club lost out on a fortune after the singers backed out, and is now demanding it all back from the singers and the production company that arranged to bring them out.
According to the club owner, he lost thousands of pounds in advertising and sponsorship deals while having also given a £16,000 down-payment for the services of Alkaios and Schinas.
Addressing the Judge Andreas Pachalides’ civil court yesterday, the lawyers representing the company said that they too had lost money from a contract “that was simply broken by the performers”.
The lawyers added that, apart from the advertising money lost, the company had also lost a lucrative sponsorship deal with an alcoholic beverage company because the two singers had failed to show up.
Alkaios and Schinas are countering both claims from the club owner and the company, saying that they had never signed any contract agreeing to perform at Gate club.
They did, however, claim to have met with the club owner, adding that they were only offered a deal to play at the club.
The singers, who claim never to have received money from any deal with Gate, stated that they had turned down the deal citing “the small capacity” of the club for the concerts that they usually do.
When asked by the lawyer representing Gate if they remembered seeing giant posters of themselves inside the club when they arrived to see the club, the two singers said they couldn’t remember seeing any giant posters.
The trial is set to continue on February 15 with the lawyers of all sides set to make their closing arguments.
