By Sofia Kannas
A SAUDI man whose brother went missing in Cyprus over three years ago, is offering a £100,000 reward to anyone who can help solve the mystery of his disappearance.
Millionaire Rakan Khalid Hathleen, who was 52 when he went missing, arrived on the island in early January 2000, and was last heard of alive on January 26, 2000.
An investigation was launched by local police and Interpol when foul play was suspected.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, Hathleen’s brother Mansour said he was still hoping his brother may be found alive, despite the fact that no progress has been in the investigation so far.
“It’s been three years now, so there’s a fifty-fifty chance he’s still alive. But no progress has been made whatsoever.”
Rakan was reported missing by his family in Saudi Arabia in February 2000.
“My brother was in Cyprus on holiday when he disappeared — he used to come over three or four times a year as he owned a flat in Limassol. He sometimes came alone or came with his wife and sons.”
“Whenever he was abroad, he used to call us two or three times a week. The last phone call he made home was on January 26 and the housemaid picked up the phone. He said he was in a hurry and wanted to speak to his wife urgently, but when she came to the phone the line had been disconnected. After that, we became worried.
“The bank also notified us that his credit card had been used and charged with a large amount. That’s when we came over to Cyprus for the first time in February.”
Svetlana Zelenin, a Russian woman and her son Zakhar — aged 42 and 18 respectively at the time -were reported to have been seen with Hathleen and were sought by police in connection with the fraud.
“Our suspicion is that the Russian woman and her son used his credit card. We had a picture of the son and we took it to various jewellery and electric stores, and he was identified. He even used it to buy a pizza.
Unconfirmed reports suggest something in the region of £70,000 was spent using Hathleen’s credit card. The credit card was also used in the Ukraine.
Asked what the connection between Hathleen and the Russian pair may have been Mansour said:
“We believe the Russian woman was like a housemaid for my brother – she came on and off to cook and clean.
“The woman and her son left Cyprus on February 22 2000. The young man was deported for violating immigration rules – he had overstayed in Cyprus. They went to Moscow from Larnaca.”
No trace of the pair has been found despite the involvement of Interpol.
“Interpol in Saudi, Cyprus, Tashkent and Moscow have been involved, but there is no sign of them anywhere. They disappeared like a mirage. Yet these people must know about my brother.
Mansour said the last phone call his brother made on January 26 may help in discovering what really happened.
“We have been urging the telecommunications to try and trace that last call, to discover where it was made, whether in Limassol, Nicosia or elsewhere. This might lead to something. But the telecommunications people said it was not possible.”
Mansour dismissed suggestions that his brother had run off to Uzbekistan with another Russian woman.
“My brother came to Cyprus on January 6, 2000 and immigration records show he never left the island. If he had left Cyprus then immigration would have known.”
Mansour has been in Cyprus this week pushing for a renewed initiative into the search for his brother.
“I have been to see the police — the case is still open and he’s still considered a missing person.
“I am urging in anyone with even the smallest piece of information about my brother to come forward – anything they tell us will be treated as confidential. I am also offering a £100,000 reward.”
Commenting on Hathleen’s disappearance yesterday, Justice Minister Alecos Shambos said the matter was being dealt with by police, but added that the case would be re-opened should any new evidence come to light.
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.
