THE government was yesterday considering a request from the United States authorities to have access to the confiscated laptop computer of fugitive suspected spymaster Robert Christopher Metsos.
Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said yesterday that the Ministry of Justice had received a request for court assistance from the US authorities on Friday evening.
The request specifically asked for access to “any objects or documents found in the possession” of Metsos, who is suspected of being the paymaster of an alleged Russian spy network operating for years in the US.
Katsounotos said that when Metsos was arrested early on Tuesday in the passport control area at Larnaca airport as he was preparing to leave Cyprus for Budapest, he had in his possession various personal items, including a laptop computer.
He added that in accordance with the international arrest warrant issued by the US for Metsos, “all his personal effects were confiscated and are in the possession of the Cyprus police”.
Katsounotos said that the formal request from the US was passed by the Justice Ministry on to Police Chief Michalis Papageorgiou, who decided to consult the Attorney-general over the extent to which the request for evidence can be met within the provisions of the agreement covering international fugitives.
The police spokesman reiterated yesterday that whether or not Metsos had left the government-controlled areas had still not been definitively established.
“However, it is self-evident that the passage of a great length of time since we lost track of him makes it clear that he has left the territory of the Republic of Cyprus – but by what means or from what location is not absolutely clear,” he added.
Canadian passport-holder Metsos, 54, who is wanted on charges of money laundering and acting as an unlawful foreign agent, went missing on Wednesday after being released on €26,500 bail on Tuesday by Larnaca District Court.
Both Justice Minister Loucas Louca and the police have since distanced themselves from the judge’s decision to release Metsos.
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Greek suspect remanded for role in cabaret owner’s murder
By Nicola Ioannou
A 44-YEAR-OLD Greek national appeared in Limassol District Court yesterday after being extradited from Greece for his suspected involvement in the murder of a former cabaret owner in Limassol last year.
Azad Berwari, a Greek national born in Iraq, had been arrested by the Greek authorities after a European arrest warrant was issued by the Cypriot police, police spokesman Michalis Katsounots said yesterday. He was extradited to Cyprus on Friday and immediately arrested. Yesterday Limassol court issued a six-day remand order against him.
The Cyprus Criminal Investigation Office (CIO) secured a testimony against the suspect that he was the man who accompanied the assassin in the murder of 67-year-old Michalaki Kakathymi, from Limassol last July.
Kakathymi, an ex-cabaret boss, was the victim of a high profile mafia style execution, when he was gunned down in a Limassol cafe. His killing was said to have been masterminded from inside the Nicosia prison by his ex-partner and convict Soteris Athinis. It later emerged that Attorney-general Petros Clerides was also on the hit-list allegedly compiled by Athinis.
“He was arrested yesterday (Friday night) after his arrival on Cyprus land under a Cypriot warrant for arrest and today (yesterday) he will face the Limassol District Court to request his continued custody in relation to the ongoing case,” the police spokesman said.
Other suspects due to stand trial in relation to the Kakamythis murder are his relative Andreas Alexandrou and another man, Lazaros Lazarou.
Investigations continue to track down Kakathymis assassin, Constantinos Michaelides, who remains at large.
