The case of the missing body
WHEN the phone rang that morning to tell me Tassos Papadopoulos’ grave had been opened and his body stolen on the eve of the day he died a year ago, I was in disbelief. And so was the rest of the island that day.
Disbelief quickly gave way to shock. Despite the plethora of crimes, conspiracies and political machinations Cyprus has seen in the past, nothing like this has ever happened before.
The theft of Papadopoulos’ body became the main topic of conversation everywhere and it was not long before the absence of any clues as to the motive led to ever-increasingly imaginative speculation.
Was the body stolen to extort money from the family? Was it a political act aiming garner resistance against an unwanted solution of the Cyprus problem? Or was it an attempt by foreign forces to divide the Greek Cypriots?
These and other theories were all on the table.
But the fact that various circles sought to politicise the act, succeeded only in convincing one section of conspiracy theorists that it had been an inside job.
And the fact that the family, in its first reaction, did not even mention returning the body, came to strengthen the point.
Personally I do not want to believe it was an inside job. Who would stoop so low? But I expected the family – in its first reaction — to at least plead for the return of the body and not put a political spin on the act.
“This unholy act by grave robbers, beyond the sorrow and anger it causes, cannot in any way bury the policy or write off the legacy left by Tassos Papadopoulos,” the family said in a statement.
“Wherever his body may be now, his voice will be heard and endure in these difficult times for our national matter,” the statement added, referring to the Cyprus problem.
“With this act, the day they chose to do it, the day of his death and eve of his memorial, those who did it wanted to send a message to Cypriot Hellenism that they removed the symbol that embodied the resistance of Cypriot Hellenism,” his close associate former foreign minister Giorgos Lillikas said just hours after the empty grave was discovered.
An inflammatory statement in my book, which along with the rest uttered that day, clearly failed to take into account that Papadopoulos was defeated in the first round of the last presidential elections.
Meanwhile, as days passed, and without any clues, speculation that it was a ransom job began to gain more and more ground.
It was further fuelled by a trip to Zurich by Papadopoulos’ widow Fotini, whom it was reported went to Switzerland to negotiate.
The family categorically denied this.
But if indeed a ransom had been demanded, would the family say so?
On the other hand, if it is indeed a political act wouldn’t someone have assumed responsibility by now or make some sort of statement? Or are they waiting for the right time?
Title deeds: cutting the Gordian Knot
By Charles Charalambous
WHEN I was asked to choose my favourite story from 2009, I very quickly found myself thinking in terms of which one has had the most impact on people’s lives.
My personal highlights of the year were: the performance of Andreas Vgenopoulos at the Marfin Popular Bank annual general meeting in May; the plans for a new national healthcare system (August), the events at the Omeriye mosque in September; the strained relationship between the government and Central Bank (ongoing); and the Stelios Awards for Business Co-operation in Cyprus (April-December).
But in terms of which story has affected the largest number of people directly – with potentially far-reaching consequences for the economy that will affect most of us – I would have to choose the title deeds issue.
Another reason for choosing this issue is that I firmly believe that the publicity that the Cyprus Mail and other newspapers have generated has helped push it towards a resolution.
The role of journalism in a free society is a weighty subject, giving rise to often heated debate. At its worst, journalism can be shallow, sensationalist, opportunistic and can sometimes serve to actively distract people from the substantial issues of the day.
At its best, journalism exposes wrongdoing, promotes debate on issues of public concern and regularly challenges those exercising any kind of power to answer for their actions or omissions. As the Australian journalist John Pilger put it: “Secretive power loathes journalists who do their job, who push back screens, peer behind façades, lift rocks. Opprobrium from on high is their badge of honour.”
Strictly speaking, of course, the title deeds issue is more of a series rather than just one story; and there have been a number of instalments so far, with more to come in 2010.
Today, an estimated 130,000 title deeds remain unissued for various types of properties, some of which were bought by their current “owners” more than ten years ago.
The effects of the economic crisis in Cyprus – especially a stagnating property market and construction industry, coupled with an unfavourable sterling-euro exchange rate – provided the backdrop for Interior Minister Neoclis Silikiotis’ efforts to correct a situation which successive governments had done nothing to address.
During 2009, legislation was formulated which aimed to unlock the bottleneck, and this was pushed along by pressure groups such as the Cyprus Land and Property Owners’ Association (KSIA) and the Cyprus Property Action Group (CPAG). The latter also took the issue to the European Parliament and European Commission – both of which have demanded real action.
When the final version of amending legislation is formally put to the House of Representatives in the New Year, beginning with the Legal Affairs Committee, it is unlikely, however, to satisfy key interest groups involved in the issue. Back in October, the Cyprus Bar Association publicly called for three of the five bills to be opposed, while CPAG still believes that the thorny issue of the role played by the banks in developers’ mortgages will not be resolved by the new laws.
The evolution of the bills has been reflected in Silikiotis’ public statements. In the first half of the year, up to the tabling of the first drafts in July, he talked of “solving the title deeds issue”, but since then he has stressed that the “Gordian Knot” of years of government neglect of the issue would not be unravelled overnight.
When I interviewed him in November, Silikiotis said that one of the main practical aims of the new legislation is to “size” the problem by getting the maximum number of outstanding cases into and through the system, as part of the longer-term aim to create healthy conditions in the property market within three years.
A major factor in how this plays out will be the ability of the state bureaucracy and the courts to deal with the extra workload that will surely be generated by the new laws.
While the proposed legislation was evolving during the year, other specific aspects of the problem emerged. The role of the banks in developers’ operations was highlighted by the Froiber bankruptcy, which I first wrote about in June.
So far, the commercial banks have been given an easy ride on the issue by the press. We shall see how this might change in 2010.
Helios: will the long-awaited trial answer crucial questions?
By Elias Hazou
Four years – that’s how long it took for the Helios plane crash trial to get underway. The legal battle has begun. But now that the ball is rolling, can anyone realistically expect anything approximating true justice, or at least that the trial can shed light on some burning questions regarding the events of August 15, 2005 when the plane crashed into a Greek mountainside killing all 121 passengers and crew?
If recent, high-profile trials handled by the Attorney-general’s office are anything to go by, the omens are not very encouraging.
The prosecution’s case hinges on demonstrating that the company and its officers are liable for employing, and continuing to employ “inadequate and unfit” pilots. All the defence needs to do is dismantle this argument.
The AG’s angle is straightforward: the accident was caused by mistakes/omissions made by Captain Hans-Jurgen Merten and his co-pilot Pambos Charalambous, due to the fact they were unfit to fly. Therefore it is the airline’s fault for allowing them to do so.
Helios acknowledges that Pambos Charalambous was found to “experience difficulties coping under pressure”, but says it did take corrective action in this regard, by rejecting Charalambous’ application for promotion to the rank of captain. As far as the airline is concerned, the accident is down to design faults of the manufacturer Boeing.
There’s a lot to suggest the “search for truth” will be clouded by the ins and outs of the legal process. It’s already happening: individuals who might have served as key witnesses will not be taking the stand. The initial salvos in court have seen witnesses coaxed into testifying on matters that are beyond, or peripheral to, their expertise. The lawyers are doing their job, testing the waters, probing for weaknesses in their opponents’ case. Meanwhile Helios’ legal team has finally been allowed to document and photograph the evidence (airplane parts etc.) but not to touch them for fear of contamination. Last but by no means least, the widow of co-pilot Pambos Charalambous is suing the Attorney-general’s office, that is, “her side”, for sullying the reputation of her late husband. How’s that for a twist?
The fact-finding probe on the accident, which – for better or worse – was drawn up in record time – primarily blamed the two pilots. It found that the airflow valve was set at a 14-degree angle from the manual position, allowing for partial decompression, or loss of pressure. For this type of Boeing, it should have been set on auto before takeoff.
According to the report, on the night before the accident, airline engineers left the switch on manual, and on the fateful day the pilots apparently omitted to conduct the pre-flight checks. Having also failed to identify decompression problems during flight, the two aviators succumbed to the effects of hypoxia and passed out. As a result, the plane flew on autopilot for hours before running out fuel and smashing into a ravine outside Athens.
Before the trial began, a great deal was said about the Helios case: that it’s a witch hunt, that the victims’ relatives are being fed false hopes, and so on. Now that it’s come down to the crunch, can we gain some insight, whatever the conclusions may be? Perhaps by reading between the lines of what’s heard in court, it might yet be possible to get a better understanding of what really happened. The question is: can the finer details emerge to reconstruct the events of the day, or will they get garbled in the welter of information and testimonies?
Just another year of prostitution, slavery and war
By Stefanos Evripidou
I’VE BEEN asked to focus on the one story of 2009 that left the biggest impression on me but I couldn’t possibly do that without straying a little off track and, inadvertently, annoying the editors. It’s been a full year and sticking to one theme without mentioning some of the others that stood out is just too tall an order for this hack.
The year started with the disturbing events unfolding in our near abroad: the Gaza Strip. In the dying days of 2008, the SS Dignity, a boat carrying activists and medical supplies from Larnaca to Gaza, was rammed by the Israeli navy and forced to seek refuge in Tyre. By mid-January, the Spirit of Humanity also failed in its symbolic attempt to reach Gaza during Operation Cast Lead.
As the year progressed, the opportunity arose to dig a little deeper into the soul of old Nicosia within the walls, warts and all. When someone decided to steal the road sign for the capital’s most infamous street, Soutsou, they unwittingly sent me on a midnight tour of the walled city, researching a piece on the “oldest profession in the world”. Traipsing through the red-light arc of Soutsou, Pendadaktylou and Tempon got me speaking to sex workers and customers, old and new. The experience confirmed what I’d suspected but never learnt first-hand, that these women could tell you a thing or two about being pariahs in a land weighing heavy in judgement and hypocrisy.
On a lighter note, the Communications Ministry’s earnest yet premature proposal to ease traffic congestion by creating a “two-plus lane” in the capital provided plenty of fodder for debate. Radio and TV time was filled with those questioning the audacity of the scheme while at the Mail, we followed proceedings with a raised eyebrow. First, the traffic signs went up while directions were painted on the roads in an admirable effort to explain the rather complex scheme. As the debate raged on, the road directions had faded and needed repainting while opposition to the scheme multiplied. After missing numerous deadlines for its application, the ministry finally raised the white flag. The signs went down, the roads repainted grey and city traffic remained as congested ever.
The year also brought me in touch with a number of fascinating characters, each one with a story worthy of any bookshop. Pushkar Shah epitomised everything about Nepal that I love. One day in 1998, with the equivalent of one euro in his pocket, Pushkar set off on a bicycle, leaving his village on the foothills of Mount Everest to travel the world. Eleven years and 150 countries later, he stopped cycling, but not before passing through Cyprus to spread the message of peace and unity.
Equally intriguing was meeting and writing about Latif Yahia, the former body double of Saddam Hussein’s notorious son Uday, which opened up a world of espionage and intrigue.
Bill Ayers, the former militant antiwar campaigner and “pal” of Barack Obama had more than a few sensible things to say about democracy, justice and education. “There’s nothing more dogmatic than common sense” was one of my favourites, but the words of wisdom were a dime a dozen on my note pad as I lapped up an hour with Bill over coffee.
Accompanying Mehmet Ali Talat from the Ledra Street crossing to the Cyprus Mail offices back in November was another eye opener. It struck me just how many everyday people were eager to stop him and his entourage for a quick word or warm wish. He had celebrity status, and was bombarded with presents (bars of soap), photographs of his last crossing and offers of coffee and ice-cream, all of which he handled with adequate patience and interest. A far cry from the animosity we have got so used to seeing between the political leaderships of each community.
But the most significant and disturbing story of this last year for me is the one that we don’t speak of, the elephant in the room…slavery. The Mail touched on the issue in the first half of the year, when alerted to the eight Asian seafarers who spent eight months working in Cyprus for an average wage of €130 a month. But the beans really spilled on the table when police rescued around 140 Romanian workers from their makeshift living quarters in Tseri, where their boss allegedly had them living in squalor, going hungry and working for a pittance. The fact they were EU citizens gave the case more exposure than usual, but also helped to highlight the obvious, that exploitation has its ugly finger poking in every area of society and needs to be vigorously confronted.
