Civil servant held on bribery charge

A CIVIL servant was remanded in custody yesterday on suspicion of accepting £2,650 in bribes from a business consultant.

Grigoris Tsangarides, who works for the Industrial Training Authority, allegedly accepted cash and gifts from business consultant Dr Chrysanthos Maldapittas to promote certain subsidised training programmes within the authority.

Nicosia District Court heard that the 39-year-old public servant was arrested on Friday after a police sting operation. The sting was arranged in a Nicosia restaurant after Dr Maldapittas went to police with allegations that Tsangarides had been demanding back-handers from him for the past two years.

Police gave the businessman 25 £20 notes to hand to the civil servant as a bribe during their meal. The notes had been photocopied by police for recognition and were allegedly found on Tsangarides when he was arrested as he left the restaurant, the court heard.

A subsequent search of Tsangarides’s home in Strovolos, Nicosia, turned up a computer, a printer, two Delsey travel bags and a personal organiser, which were taken as evidence, police said.

Police told the court the civil servant had accepted £1,650 in cash and £1, 000 worth of gifts from Dr Maldapittas during 1997 and 1998.

The court remanded Tsangarides for six days.

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