Trial in Tylliria land case set for next month

TWO MEN held in connection with the illegal transfer of land in the Tylliria area were yesterday charged and referred to the Assize court where they face trial next month.

Land Survey Department official Michalis Kalathas, 46, from Nicosia, and the 62-year-old Mukhtar of Pigenia, Vassos Stylianou, were charged with conspiracy to defraud by illegally transferring and subsequently selling land in the Pigenia area.

Kalathas will also face 10 counts including forging and circulating official documents, receiving bribes, corruption and cover-up, while Stylianou was charged with seven counts of abusing his authority, bribing state officials, corruption and cover-up.

The trial begins on December 12, and the court will today decide whether the two will remain in custody until then.

The two allegedly conspired to defraud the heirs of a man by transferring the ownership of a plot of land left to the heirs by the deceased and benefiting from its sale.

Meanwhile the Paphos district court yesterday renewed the remand order of Kato Pyrgos local councillor Andreas Georgiou in connection with the same case.

Also in custody are the Mukhtar of Kato Pyrgos, an estate agent and a second land survey official.

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