A MAN suspected of being the 11th member of a US spy ring allegedly working for Russia was arrested and released on bail in Cyprus yesterday.
Robert Christopher Metsos, 54, was arrested at Larnaca airport as he tried to leave the island for Budapest at around 3am yesterday, police said. By midday, the Larnaca District Court released Canadian passport-holder Metsos on €26,500 bail, after he deposited €20,000 and CAN$9,000 in cash, to reappear in court within 30 days, when an extradition hearing will start.
It is highly unusual for Cyprus courts to issue bail for foreign nationals pending extradition. In court hearings prosecutors frequently cite the risk of flight via the north.
Police had attempted to hold Metsos in custody pending the extradition hearing but Metsos’ lawyer, Michalis Papathanasiou, objected, arguing that his client be released on certain conditions. The judge, while acknowledging the serious nature of the charges facing Metsos, agreed. The 54-year-old was released on the condition that he put up bail, hand over his travel documents and report to Larnaca police station every day.
“Based on the (Interpol) red notice we received, he is wanted for money laundering and espionage,” said police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos.
He noted that Metsos was travelling on a Canadian passport. He was stopped by police at the airport’s passport control when they saw his name on the stop list.
An international arrest warrant was issued by Interpol at the request of the US authorities, asking for the extradition of Metsos to the US so he can face charges of espionage for Russia and money laundering before the South New York Court.
Documents submitted to court yesterday in Larnaca said the Interpol red alert for Metsos was issued on June 26. It said he was thought to have laundered some $40,000.
The man is believed to be the 11th suspect US authorities say is involved in a spy ring that carried out deep-cover work in the United States to recruit political sources and gather information for the Russian government. US authorities said on Monday they arrested 10 suspected spies in the ring.
Metsos has been accused of receiving and making payments to the other members of the group, including getting payments during a brush-pass with a Russian government official who was affiliated with the Russian mission to the United Nations in New York, according to the US Justice Department.
Metsos reportedly buried some money in rural New York that was later recovered about two years later by two others in the group who had travelled from Seattle.
The US embassy in Nicosia said it was not aware of the arrest.
“He has to appear at a police station once a day and has handed in his travel documents to police,” Katsounotos said.
Asked whether an alleged spy should have been kept in custody during the extradition process, he said: “That is a matter for the court to answer, which examined the request and set certain conditions.”
Metsos arrived in Cyprus on June 17 and had been staying alone at a hotel in Larnaca centre. He told the court that he is divorced and has a son in Paris.
According to Larnaca Press Agency, Metsos reported to Larnaca police station at 6.30pm yesterday. However, management at the hotel where he was supposed to be staying said he was no longer there.
The extradition hearing will start on July 29.
