Bar Association drowning in complaints

2011-07-24

HAPLESS homeowners are filing up to 50 complaints a month to the Advocates Disciplinary Board against allegedly corrupt lawyers, it emerged this week.

According to board member and Cyprus Bar Association (CBA) president Doros Ioannides, the majority of these complaints are filed by British expats against Paphos-based property lawyers – and mostly involve developers.

The rate of applications has become so unmanageable that, according to one scam victim, one such lawyer has even racked up more than 25 complaints over the past two years without a single judgement against her.

So what is going on at the Advocates Disciplinary Board?

Tales from the coffee shop: Christofias becomes delusional

2011-07-24

YOU CAN always trust our illustrious politicians to come up with ingenious ways of tackling the problems facing the country. And for the biggest crisis facing Kyproulla, the answer is the creation of a national unity government or failing that a government of broader acceptance.

It is really quite simple. The comrade president will sack a few ministers, replace them with individuals who do not belong to DIKO and AKEL and his cabinet will suddenly be transformed into a group of world-beaters that would provide rational solutions to the mountain of problems he has created.

EU Deal on Greece a chance for Cyprus to avoid complacency

2011-07-24

THE DEAL struck by European leaders on Thursday aiming at helping Greece overcome its debt crisis and prevent contagion to other euro area countries gives Cyprus another chance to deal with its structural and fiscal challenges and no time for complacency, economists say.

“The deal is significant,” head of economic research at Marfin Popular Bank, Yiannis Tirkides told the Sunday Mail. “It provides access to the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to countries already, before they have to apply for support”.

For Cyprus, which also saw its borrowing cost rise in recent months, “it is something positive,” since even after the deal, Cyprus remains in the “danger zone,” he added.

Limassol’s popular Coast FM changes hands

2011-07-24

“IT WAS everything I’ve lived for since I was a boy,” said founder of Limassol’s popular Coast fm, David Symonds, which recently changed hands.

“I never got into it to make money but for the love of the medium,” said founder David Symonds, who explained that he sold his shares as they got hit by the fallout from the recession.

Coast FM on the frequency 91.4 changed hands at the end of June, with the new owners keen to attract the Russian market. Nonetheless Symonds still feels proud of what he achieved 10 years ago.

New NG chief assumes duties

2011-07-24

LIEUTENANT-general Stylianos Nasis yesterday assumed his duties as the new commander of the National Guard, following the resignation of his predecessor in the wake of the July 11 naval base blast that killed 13 men.

“During these difficult moments, your role has special importance,” President Demetris Christofias said during the confirmation ceremony at the presidential palace. ““We must deal with the crisis our country is facing united, composed and with determination and at the same time send the clear message that the National Guard is in a position to fulfil its duties.”

Nasis, a Greek national, said he knew his role, position and what he must do.

MP refutes ‘you knew’ report

2011-07-24

THE chairman of the House Defence Committee yesterday denied media reports suggesting a high-ranking army officer had accused former defence minister Costas Papacostas of knowing the danger concerning the munitions that eventually exploded on July 11, killing 13 people.

It was widely reported on Friday that Papacostas told the committee his ministry had agreed to receive the 98 containers, seized late in 2009 from a ship headed to Syria from Iran, after receiving assurances the material was inert from Colonel Giorgos Georgiades, deputy commander of the support brigade and former commander of the ordnance corps.

Robbery that wasn’t

2011-07-24

THE 47-year-old owner of a convenience store and his wife, 46, were in hot water yesterday after they allegedly lied that they had been robbed on Thursday night.

The couple had reported a robbery but police investigators quickly realised it was a lie.

The couple were arrested on Friday and charged in connection with conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor and public nuisance,

They were released to be summoned at a later date, police said.

 

 

NG camp argument

2011-07-24

A SMALL number of relatives of conscripts at the Limassol training camp were yesterday involved in an angry exchange with the commander and another officer over the soldiers’ weekend furlough, the defence ministry said.

The ministry said the incident took place in the morning.

Relatives reacted over the lack of information concerning the exact time the soldiers would receive their 24-hour furlough, a ministry statement said.

The incident is being investigated by the police in cooperation with the National Guard and measures will be taken if necessary, the statement said.

More travel

2011-07-24

MORE people living in Cyprus have travelled abroad in June this year, according to figures released yesterday by the Statistical Service, recording a 1.2 per cent increase.

On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, 104,273 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in June 2011 compared with 103,014 in the corresponding month last year.

In May 2011 trips abroad by residents in Cyprus fell by 7.8 per cent compared with May 2010.

Furthermore, June 2011 saw a rise of 9.6 per cent in trips of Cyprus residents to the United Kingdom.

MP delegates

2011-07-24

A THREE-member parliamentary delegation departs today for London to participate in the 57th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference.

The PA 57th CPA Conference will have a ceremonial character, as the Association celebrates 100 years.

The conference’s main issue is to reinforce democracy. Other issues concern climate change, Commonwealth initiatives in handling immigration issues, enhancing good governance and accountability, and world economy and problems and obstacles facing the Commonwealth.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.