DESPITE recent assurances from the Mayor of Yermasoyia to the Cyprus Mail that the ‘Galatex issue’ has been more or less addressed as nightclubs are not presently operating, the Chairman of Galatex Tourist Enterprises George Galatariotis insists the problem will return to the fore in the summer.
Not only has the issue not been addressed, Galatariotis claims, but Yermasoyia Council continues to refuse to uphold the law in Galatex.
“The reason these establishments are closed in not because they were not granted licences. The reason it’s not working now is because money is not being made, because it’s winter. By summertime, they will all be open again. In the meantime, authorities still refuse to uphold the law in Galatex,” said Galatariotis.
In the meantime, reports on Galatex describe it as a ‘state within a state’, a sort of ‘law of the jungle’ situation. In the absence of law enforcement, those who would like to see the situation stay as it is are allegedly scaring off anyone who tries to change it. On several occasions, lighting had been installed on one day and removed the next, Galatariotis said. On another occasion, a bulldozer arrived to tear down illegal structures, but its driver was scared off and forced to flee.
The Galatex debacle is two-fold; local authorities have failed to remove illegal structures such as extensions on public pavements, building modifications and so on, as they have the power to do under the Law on Local Authorities.
This law provides that when a person is acting illegally, local authorities have the right to call that person to tear down the illegal structure. If that person does not comply, then the Court can pass a demolition order.
“This law has been used by other local authorities to tear down illegal structures. Mesa Yeitonia Mayor Christos Mesis has used it in the past. Strovolos Council has also used it. Why does Yermasoyia Council refuse to use it?” Galatariotis asked.
Secondly, authorities have failed to deal with the illegal activity taking place at the complex. Incidents of drug use, drug trafficking, underage drinking, assault and rape at the complex site have been reported in recent years. At a minimum, authorities have failed to provide lighting to public spaces at Galatex, keeping Galatex ‘in the dark’.
“There is still no lighting at Galatex, and it’s not because we never installed any. We would install lighting, and the next day it would get removed. It’s dark there, not because lamps are expensive, but because those who break the law go and break the lamps. As the local authority is not doing anything, there is no-one to oversee the situation. It is the responsibility of the local authority to provide lighting in public spaces. It is dark in Galatex and the dark covers many situations,” Galatariotis said.
Frustrated with the state of affairs, the management of Galatex Beach Centre had sent a letter to eight government departments calling them to uphold the law. The letter was sent through the company’s lawyer Fotos Tsangarides in April 2007 to: the Minister of Interiors, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, the District Officer of Limassol, the Mayor of Yermasoyia, the Chief of Police, the Limassol Chief of Police, the Director of Yermasoyia Police station, and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO).
The letter details all the illegal activity taking place at Galatex, from the bar extensions on public pavements, to noise pollution, drug use and violent crimes. Through this letter, the management of Galatex notes the lack of action on the part of the authorities, and, once again, calls them to use their power and enforce the law.
“Through this letter our client calls you to use your authority provided to you by the relevant laws and regulations and to take appropriate administrative, court and other measures for the compliance of people who are breaking the law and provisions of operation licences of the businesses housed in the complex,” the letter read.
One year down the line, authorities are yet to respond. “The reply we got was really general. They said our complaints are being investigated, but nothing specific. The answer is found by looking at the situation at Galatex – nothing has changed,” said Galatariotis.
After years of struggle, Galatex Tourist Enterprises sold Galatex Beach Complex for £3.5 million. “For the first time in our life we sold below cost, just to get rid of the endless headache. This was a really low price, compared to the value of the property, which we had to take because of the bad reputation of Galatex, the continuing illegal activity taking place there, and all the related incidents that have occurred,” Galatariotis explained.
“All previous efforts we made to rehabilitate the area were in vain. We invited developers to assess the option of turning the shops into apartments, but the developers were getting threatened and scared off. We called all major developers, and all of them run away. We sent a bulldozer to demolish illegal extensions, but they would scare off the bulldozer-driver,” he said.
