POLICE yesterday rubbished claims that a man investigated for selling stolen cruise missiles with nuclear capabilities to Iran was murdered in Cyprus.
Assistant to the Chief of Police Soteris Charalambous said the police had concluded without a doubt that 53-year-old Sarfraz Haider had died on January 24, 2004, from a quad motorbike accident.
In an article in Australia’s Sunday Herald Sun last week, members of Haider’s family alleged that the Australian businessman had been killed for his involvement in selling the long-range missiles and went so far as to accuse Cypriot police of being paid by Iranian agents “to eliminate Mr Haider because he knew too much”.
According to the paper, Haider left his two children in Australia when he moved to London in 1985, “but now they want justice and access to his estate”. Haider moved from London to Cyprus in 2000.
Charalambous described claims that police were involved a conspiracy to murder Haider as ludicrous.
“The accident occurred in January 2004. We didn’t even have information of his involvement in the sale of missiles until July. We knew he was a permanent resident of Cyprus who lived here with his family and owned an offshore company, but that was it,” he said.
Police ruled that Haider had died instantly from a motorbike accident when his quad bike smashed into a wall.
Haider’s children and brother Dr Tedo Haider have visited Cyprus a number of times to examine the reasons of his death. His brother allegedly conducted his own autopsy on the body, concluding that his neck had been broken and aorta split, and registered signs of a struggle. The paper claims that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation has opened a file on the case, while the Australian Federal Police have been investigating in Cyprus.
Charalambous argued the case was closed, as far as the police were concerned.
“His family in Australia came to visit me twice accompanied by a Cypriot lawyer. We told them that it was not murder.”
“A coroner went to the scene of the accident and carried out an autopsy the next day.
There is no doubt whatsoever about the cause of death. Was it murder? Not a chance in a million. He was driving in a field on his quad bike when he lost control and hit a wall, in front of five witnesses including his children and Cypriots who had nothing to do with the (missile) case. His death was instant due to a cut aorta,” said
Charalambous.
“The only way they could have killed him is if they zapped his bike with their satellite from high up above,” he emphasised.
“For us, as far as the accident and the missile case is concerned, the issue is closed. All the information gathered has been given to the Ukrainian authorities,” added Charalambous.
Haider was an Australian citizen of Afghan and Iranian origin, who was implicated in the alleged sale of six Russian Kh-55 cruise missiles to Iran.
The Kh-55 cruise missile has a range of up to 3,000 kilometres and is capable of carrying a 200-kiloton nuclear warhead.
According to the Radio Free Europe website, on January 28, 2005, Ukranian parliamentarian Hryhoriy Omelchenko alleged in a public letter to President Viktor Yushchenko that Ukraine illegally sold cruise missiles to Iran in violation of international non-proliferation treaties. On paper, the Soviet-made missiles were supposed to be destroyed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. His report also refers to a paper company set up in Cyprus channelling money for the missiles.
The website claims that an ongoing investigation by the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) implicates high-ranking members of the Ukrainian military and the state arms-sales company UkrSpetxEport in the sale of missiles to Iran and China.
Charalambous said all the evidence collected by the Cypriot police was presented to the Ukrainian authorities and no further investigations were made in Cyprus. He confirmed that Haider was involved in the sale of missiles but that all the money from his accounts has left the island.
