I would like to express my opinion and concerns on the recent increase in Cyprus road deaths and serious injuries.

There is no doubt that Cyprus has one of the highest number of road deaths in Europe, in proportion to its tiny population.

Despite the police always commenting on road deaths and launching random and scattered campaigns to better the statistics it seems to come to no avail.

In my opinion the main problem comes down to the absence of any real punishment being handed down to the killer drivers. A small fine, a short suspended prison sentence and a short driving ban is not considered as real punishment and as an end result undermines the seriousness of the crime committed, whether this is killing another person on the road or causing life changing injuries.

The recent news headlines of well known persons in Cyprus causing serious road accidents and being left unpunished by the Cyprus courts does nothing to help the situation.

It angers people to know that there is one law applying to the ordinary citizens of this country and the ‘absence of law’ applicable to people with government and political links.

A year ago I lost someone very dear to me due to a driver who failed to stop at a stop sign. With the case due for hearing I hope the system can impose a fair and just punishment to the killer driver and help promote the seriousness of the problem we are facing today in Cyprus.

George Karapateas, via email

EVERY time the political parties decide to supposedly protect the people we do not know whether to laugh or cry. Neither reaction would be out of place because foolishness is often entertainingly funny, but it could also have long-lasting, harmful consequences.

Last Thursday in the House was one of those days, the majority of our deputies deciding that they should pretend to protect primary residences from “mass” repossessions by approving a bill that would suspend the implementation of the foreclosures law.

It was a ridiculous bill because it was resoundingly pointless and a complete waste of everyone’s time. Its theoretical objective, according to the party that drafted it, was to prevent the banks from repossessing primary residences of people that had fallen on hard times and had fallen behind in their loan repayments. It would be in effect until the end of January, by which time, the five bills on insolvency, which would supposedly “offer a net of protection,” will have been approved.

What was then the point of suspending the law? First, it is practically unfeasible for the “mass foreclosures” that deputies claimed they feared, to have taken place in one month (nothing was going to happen over the Christmas period). The banks do not have enough staff to engage in mass foreclosures in the space of 20 working days. Second, any rational person would know that the priority of the banks would be to focus on the individuals and businesses with loans of millions instead of chasing some unemployed home-owner that has 10 or 20 thousand euro of loan arrears. Third, and most important, the foreclosures law cannot be implemented because the necessary regulations have not yet been approved.

Finance minister Haris Georgiades said on Friday that the law without the regulations is like a car without wheels and engine – it just cannot be used. In what could only be described as a surreal move, AKEL, EDEK, DIKO, Greens and Alliance voted for the suspension of the implementation of a law that cannot be implemented. It can only be implemented once the regulations are approved by the House. AKEL chief Andros Kyprianou countered the regulations were necessary only for auctioning purposes, in which case why had there not been mass foreclosures since the law was approved in September?

We can only conclude that that law passed on Thursday had only one purpose. For the ruthless populists of the above-mentioned parties to fool voters into thinking that they were being protected by caring deputies. So low is the regard of the parties for the average voter’s intelligence that they stage managed this whole farce in the belief that voters would buy it. First they generated alarm by claiming that all hard-up home-owners would be thrown out on the streets by the banks and then they undertook the campaign against the foreclosures bill to protect them from the imaginary danger.

The bill was discussed for weeks and when it was eventually approved an additional six bills that would have made it unenforceable were passed by the caring parties. Four of these were referred by the president to the Supreme Court which ruled them unconstitutional. All this time and effort were wasted on the farce directed by parties, also delaying the release of the sixth tranche of assistance of €436 million, which was scheduled for September.

The European Stability Mechanism released €350m on Monday which was why the parties felt they could suspend the foreclosures law, implementation of which was a condition for the payment. They fooled the lenders as well. The IMF, which was due to release €86m last Friday decided not to do so after the passing of the suspension law.

Our parties’ brazen dishonesty shames the state, portraying it as totally untrustworthy. Why would anyone want to have any dealing with a state that cannot be trusted to honour the agreements it makes. Admittedly, the government had no part in this party-orchestrated scam of receiving funds under false pretences, but it would be no surprise if its ability to negotiate with the troika would be hampered by what has happened. How could it be trusted when the agreements its makes can be so easily annulled by the shameless opportunists of the parties, who are prepared to sacrifice the good of the country for a few votes?

EDEK deputy Nicos Nicolaides, in defending the bill his party had drafted, said that the legislature was sending out the message that it wanted the foreclosures law to go ahead “but through procedures that secure the people at risk of losing their home or small business because of the dire economic situation.” However the only message we received was that our parties are much more interested in deceiving than protecting people and are happy to discredit the state to achieve this. And this is certainly nothing to laugh about.

By Bejay Browne

PAPHOS LOCALS have expressed a mixture of shock, betrayal and world weary cynicism over the alleged level of official corruption that has been exposed in recent weeks.
The atmosphere is one of uncertainty and dismay as revelations implicate officials from all major parties, with the squandering of public funds reportedly running into millions of euros.
Whatever their response, residents are united that all those found guilty should serve prison time and public money repaid.
In an attempt to quell public negativity, the town’s deputy mayor Makis Rousis, apologised to the community as he switched on the Christmas lights earlier this month.
“I feel the need to apologise to everyone here about what is happening in Paphos Municipality. But, we are certain that Paphos has the strength to overturn this climate and ensure that the municipality takes a new path, one of both sound administration and development prospects.”
He added that recent dramatic developments highlighted the will and determination of the municipal council to continue and to intensify its work to promote transparency and accountability.
“We can achieve this through teamwork and hope to regain your confidence, momentum and optimism,” he said.
Yet optimism is in short supply at the municipality itself with staff coming to terms with the realisation that rumours which were rife for a number of years, appear to have been correct.
Municipal workers said that ex mayor Savvas Vergas ran the municipality with an iron will and was determined to do things his way, whether it was correct or not. He ‘resigned’ from his post earlier this month, bowing to pressure to do so, while in police custody.
“I need to keep my job so I don’t want to give my name, but we all suspected things weren’t quite right. But you can’t speak out without evidence and you don’t want to put your job or safety at risk,” said one municipal official.
“We try and joke about the situation now as a way of coping, but this is shameful for Paphos and all of the money needs to be clawed back. The system here is wrong. This is how things have been done in Cyprus for so long. Change will be an uphill struggle, but we need to do it and fast.”
The worker added that due to a climate of mistrust, donations to the municipal food bank have all but dried up and it’s the people who need aid that are suffering the most.
Vergas is embroiled in a number of separate cases including alleged abuse of power and financial wrongdoing
Vergas, the head of the sewerage board Eftychios Malekkides, former DISY municipal councillor Giorgos Michaelides and former DIKO councillor Efstathios Efstathiou – a well known doctor – are currently being held in custody, while police investigations are under way. Almost daily, new evidence is being uncovered, and police are still not ruling out further arrests.
So far the court has heard that the four suspects asked for bribes from contractors to favour them in tender bids for the construction of the town’s sewerage system.
Vergas, along with four defendants also faces charges for sending threatening text messages to a number of witnesses involved in the Aristo case. The case was adjourned until May 22.
The ex mayor has also been implicated in the case of a concert organised in Paphos last summer featuring Greek pop singer Sakis Rouvas, which was allegedly misleadingly advertised as a charity event.
Ian Alexander, a retired British expat living in Paphos, voted for Savvas Vergas twice. He now says he feels totally betrayed.
“My judgement was misplaced and if Vergas is proven guilty he should go to prison. He and others involved deserve to be behind bars for a long time.”
He added that the level of corruption is deep and the mayor and all those involved should repay all of the money and have their assets seized.
“Paphos has many good and honest people living here and I believe it will grow and gain a good reputation. I will vote in the January 11 elections but I will take great care in finding out all I can about the people standing for election.”
On Tuesday, Paphos municipal councillor Andreas Chrysanthou announced his independent candidacy for Paphos mayor. Elections will be held on January 11, and candidacies must be submitted by the end of the year.
Chrysanthou is also a member of the current board of directors of the Paphos sewerage board, SAPA.
“We have all been betrayed from the inside. Many knew what was going on at SAPA during the previous board’s tenure, but previously no-one dared to come forward,” Chrysanthou told the Sunday Mail. “Too many people in high positions seem to be involved.”
Chrysanthou said that evidence shows that 99 per cent of the kickbacks took place during 2007-2011.
“The current board took over on January 1 2012 and we decided to look into a number of issues including the finances,” he said.
He said he believes that as Paphos has hit the bottom, the only way is up.
“No matter how painful it is, it will be a cathartic experience. We have begun the Cyprus ‘clear up’ from Paphos. We have dared to challenge the system and the result will be worth it.”
Chrysanthou said his candidacy was a difficult decision to take, but that he was spurred to do so by the unrest and bad feeling caused by all of the revelations in Paphos.
“I am running as an independent, not affiliated with any political party and in the last three years as a councillor have always stood up for what is right. I believe in integrity and honesty and this is the only way in which a municipality should be run.”
A Paphos bank worker who only wishes to be identified as ‘Eleni’ said that the community feels not only let down but disgusted by the arrogance and disregard for the public by those implicated in the scandals.
“The (ex)mayor seems to be admitting his involvement and is naming names; this corruption obviously goes all the way to the top. Did the mayor think about the starving families and children in his town when he was pocketing the cash? People have lost their jobs, can’t pay their bills and need help. I have witnessed some very distressing scenes at the bank with people with literally no money and begging us for help. How could they do this? They deserve the full force of the law,” she said.
“I also believe they should be stripped of all of their assets, it’s time for change in Cyprus, we are in a terrible state because of people like him.”
One of the tens of volunteers who help out at a Paphos based charity Solidarity which is helping to feed nine hundred needy families in Paphos spoke of her anger.
“We all feel lost. It’s been reported that black bin bags full of cash were taken to the municipality; this is a level of greed and gluttony that fills us all with disgust,” she said. “The mayor only gave a donation of 100 euros to Solidarity to help feed those in need and yet there are innocent babies and children who don’t have baby milk or food. I have shed tears over the latest scandals, as many of us have.”
She said that complicity, bribes, corruption, kick backs, squandering of public funds, disappointment and despair are all words now synonymous with Paphos.
“It will be really hard to change this perception of us, but I think that massive levels of corruption will be uncovered in all of the towns. At least we have started to clear up our mess first.”

By Sebastien Malo and Ellen Wulfhorst

A gunman ambushed and fatally shot two New York City police officers on Saturday and then killed himself, police said, and a social media post indicated it may have been in revenge for the police chokehold death of an unarmed black man.

If the killings do turn out to have been motivated by the death of Eric Garner, they could inflame tension over race and law enforcement that have dogged New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, sparked protests around the country and drawn in President Barack Obama and his attorney general, Eric Holder.

The officers were killed without warning and at close range as they sat in their squad car in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Police Commissioner William Bratton told a news conference, flanked by de Blasio.

“Although we’re still learning the details, it’s clear that this was an assassination, that these officers were shot execution style,” said de Blasio.

New York police have come under intense pressure in recent weeks. Protests erupted after a grand jury declined this month to charge a white police officer involved in Garner’s chokehold death during an arrest attempt in July in Staten Island borough.

Bratton identified the gunman in Saturday’s shooting as Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, and said he took a shooter’s stance on the passenger side of the squad car, opening fire with a silver semi-automatic handgun. He then fled into a nearby subway station and died there from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Bratton said.

The police chief identified the slain officers as Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32. Liu had been married for two months. Ramos had a 13-year-old son.

The killings were the first time New York City police officers have been killed by gunfire since 2011 and sparked bitter anger among some police against de Blasio, who they see as not supportive enough in the face of public anger. The mayor has had a prickly relationship with law enforcement as he tries to balance regard for civil liberties with police concerns.

Patrick Lynch, head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association that is the country’s largest municipal police union, said, “There’s blood on many hands tonight.”

“Those that incited violence on the street under the guise of protest, that tried to tear down what New York City police officers did every day,” Lynch told a news conference. “That blood on the hands starts on the steps of City Hall in the office of the mayor.”

Demonstrations over Garner’s death came on top of protests around the country over another grand jury’s decision in November not to indict a white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.

Obama was briefed on the killings while on vacation in Hawaii. He later said in a statement he unconditionally condemned the shootings, adding that police officers “deserve our respect and gratitude every single day.”

INSTAGRAM POSTING

An online posting suggested a link between Brinsley, who was black, and anger over the death of Garner.

Screenshots taken by various media showed an Instagram account attributed to Brinsley with a picture of a man with wire-rimmed glasses and a separate picture of a silver pistol.

The account, using the slang insult pig for police, said: “I’m Putting Wings On Pigs Today. They Take 1 Of Ours … Let’s Take 2 of Theirs.”

The post included hashtags for Eric Garner and for Michael Brown, the teenager who was shot dead in August in Ferguson.

Instagram said the account attributed to Brinsley had been deleted.

Bratton was asked whether there was a link between Brinsley and the weeks of protests over law enforcement, and said this was under investigation. He added:

“There has been … a very strong anti-police, anti-criminal justice system, anti-societal set of initiatives under way and one of the unfortunate aspects sometimes is some people get caught up in these and go in directions they should not.”

He said police would investigate whether Brinsley had been part of protests in New York and in Atlanta, his last place of residence, over the Brown and Garner killings.

DIFFERENCE OVER TIMING

Brinsley had shot and seriously wounded his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore County, Maryland, early on Saturday before traveling to Brooklyn, where he had connections, Bratton said.

He said Baltimore authorities, who had responded to that shooting, warned the NYPD at 2:45 p.m. that it should be on the lookout for Brinsley. That was right around the time the shooting of the two NYPD officers took place.

But Baltimore County Police gave a slightly different timeline, raising questions about how soon in advance the NYPD was alerted.

Baltimore County Police said in a statement its investigators tracked Brinsley’s phone and determined he was in Brooklyn, and that at 2:10 p.m. they called police there to say he was in the area, warning them about the threats Brinsley had made on Instagram.

DE BLASIO AND POLICE

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a New York civil rights leader who has supported the families of Brown and Garner, said he was outraged by the officers’ killings, if they were related to the men’s deaths. Civil rights leaders in Los Angeles and Brown’s family also condemned the shootings.

De Blasio faced a fresh tide of anger in the city, this time from some of New York’s police force.

A Democrat who took office this year promising strong support for civil liberties in the city, he voiced support for protesters’ rights after the Garner case and has agreed with activists that police need retraining, although he has not stepped away from New York’s policy of cracking down on low-level offenses in an effort to stop more serious crimes.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association, which comprises about 12,000 retired and active New York police sergeants. “The blood of 2 executed police officers is on the hands of Mayor de Blasio,” the group said in a tweet.

Police set up a perimeter for several blocks around the street corner where the shooting occurred. Only residents were allowed to cross the police line.

John Jeronimo, a 28-year-old photographer who lives in public housing nearby, predicted the neighborhood would change as more police were sent into the area.

“A lot more people are going to get checked, stopped, pulled over. From here on now it’s going to be more hectic,” he said.

As ambulances carrying the officers’ bodies left Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, police and firefighters blocked traffic along the motorcade route with squad cars and fire trucks.

Hundreds of police and firefighters stood silently at attention, saluting as the ambulances drove by on their way to the city medical examiner’s office.

Paphos police on Saturday arrested a former AKEL municipal councillor, 60, and questioned two contractors on suspicion of corruption in connection with the construction of the coastal town’s sewerage system.

Police arrested Vasos Vasiliou and questioned Iacovos Iacovou, 46, of Iacovou Bros. construction company, and Tony Toumazis, 62, of Atlas Pantou.

The two contractors were released after being questioned by the CID.

They were named by sewerage board director Eftihios Malekkides, currently in custody with former Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas – who resigned after the scandal broke out – and former municipal councillors Efstathios Efstathiou, DIKO, and DISY’s Giorgos Michaelides.

Vasiliou and the other four were expected to be brought before a court on Sunday.

Police were also planning to issue a European arrest warrant for Greek national Christos Drakopoulos, whose company had undertaken the construction of a waste treatment plant as part of the town’s sewerage system.

It is believed that the suspects had conspired to charge extra – and unnecessary – work, sharing the spoils between them.

The sewerage project that Vergas, as chairman of the board, and Malekkides were handling, should have cost €78 million, but taxpayers have so far paid €109 million, with contractors claiming around €25 million more.

Government Spokesman Nicos Christoulides has not ruled out the possibility that the President of the Republic will proceed with changes as regards his aides at the Presidential Palace.

Replying to questions, Christodoulides said that in the framework of a possible re-organization, there may be new people while possibly some will have to leave.

“This decision depends on the President”, he pointed out.

The Spokesman said that the President, who returns to Cyprus from New York today Sunday, will return to his duties on Tuesday, after having undergone an open heart surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

On Tuesday President Anastasiades will hold a meeting with President of the House of Representatives Yiannakis Omirou, who assumed the duties of Acting President of the Republic during Anastasiades` absence. Later on the same day, the President will preside over the Council of Ministers.

The Spokesman said that one of the first issues the President will focus on will be the re-organisation at the Presidential Palace.

As regards a possible government reshuffle, he said that for the moment there is nothing to announce.

The Spokesman was also asked about President Anastasiades` visits to Russia and Israel which were due to take place in December but were cancelled due to the health problems he was facing.

Christodoulides said that the President will most probably visit Russia in February, while referring to Israel he said that the visit will take place after the elections in Israel.

By Martyn Herman

A stoppage time goal by a heavily-bandaged Martin Skrtel spared Liverpool another deflating defeat as they drew 2-2 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Inferior for most of the match, Arsenal had led with goals from French duo Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud after Philippe Coutinho had put the hosts deservedly ahead.

However, Skrtel, who required six minutes of treatment on a head wound, thundered in a late header from Steven Gerrard’s corner to deny Arsenal.

Despite failing to secure all three points, Arsenal moved back into sixth spot with 27 points from 17 games, four behind fourth-placed West Ham United.

While Arsenal have now lost just once in their last seven meetings with Liverpool, Sunderland have won four in a row against north east rivals Newcastle United after Adam Johnson’s late goal earned them a 1-0 win in the day’s other fixture.

A riveting Tyne-Wear derby at St James Park featured more than 30 attempts on goal but Johnson’s was the only one to find the net a minute from time to give Sunderland only their third win of the season and lift them away from danger.

Liverpool, languishing in mid-table, lost 3-0 at Manchester United the previous weekend when they created chances at will.

It was a similar story against Arsenal as they completely dominated the opening half with some attractive passing.

When Coutinho finally punished a sloppy Arsenal after 45 minutes it was the least they deserved.

But the defensive gremlins that have also undermined Liverpool’s season returned immediately as Debuchy headed an unlikely equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

Giroud struck what looked like being the winner after a slick Arsenal counter-attack.

Liverpool had substitute Fabio Borini sent off shortly after coming on and their cause looked lost until Skrtel’s late intervention earned them a point to move them above Merseyside rivals Everton into 10th place.

By Steve Ginsburg

The condition of Muhammad Ali has “vastly improved” since he was admitted to the hospital over the weekend with a mild case of pneumonia and doctors hope to discharge the boxing legend soon, a spokesman said on Monday.
Ali, 72, was admitted to a hospital in an undisclosed location on Saturday morning.

“The Ali family continues to request privacy and appreciates all of the prayers and well wishes,” spokesman Bob Gunnell said. “No further details are being released.”

A three-time world heavyweight champion and widely recognided as one of the best fighters ever, Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, made a rare public appearance in September to attend a ceremony in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards.

Ali, nicknamed ‘The Greatest,’ was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about three years after he retired from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record.

Raspy-voiced, Grammy-winning singer Joe Cocker, best known for his cover of the Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” and “You Are So Beautiful,” has died, his agent said. He was 70.
The death was confirmed by Marshall Arts, the company of Cocker’s agent, Barrie Marshall, in England, which gave no other details.
Cocker was born in Sheffield, England, and worked as a gas fitter while pursuing a singing career, covering Motownsongs in pubs in northern England in the 1960s.
He became known as a white soul singer and for his unique stage presence, twisting his body and face into contortions as he sang with his signature husky delivery.
A recording and touring artist in the 1970s, Cocker struggled with alcohol and drug abuse. He had a big hit in 1974 with “You Are So Beautiful,” co-written with Billy Preston.
His career revived in 1982, singing “Up Where We Belong” in a duet with Jennifer Warnes in the film “An Officer and A Gentleman,” which won both a Grammy and an Oscar.
He recorded 23 studio albums, including “Fire It Up,” his last in 2012.
Cocker lived in Crawford, Colorado, where he and his wife, Pam, had set up the Cocker Kids’ Foundation to support local youth.

By Evie Andreou

HALLOUMI does not fall within the responsibilities and mandate of UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Esper Barth Eide government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said yesterday.

The government expressed its dismay on Sunday after word got out that Eide had discussed the matter of the halloumi cheese registration as a product with protected designation of origin (PDO) during his contacts in Brussels.

“We are aware that Mr Eide had discussed the issue, among others, during his contacts in Brussels and we are also aware of the fact that the Turkish Cypriots have for some time now made repeated demarches expressing unjustified and untimely concerns. We have done all that is necessary, making clear to everyone that the application for the registration of a name of origin is the right of all EU member states,” Christodoulides said.

He also stressed the necessity that both communities need to join forces in order to protect the common product from foreign imitators.

“We asked for the name ‘halloumi’ and ‘hellim’ to be registered with all of Cyprus as the place of production. The goal is to build on the historic unifying nature of halloumi, which constitutes a common tradition and historic reality for Cyprus” the announcement said.

All interested Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, had the opportunity to submit objections when we were still at the stage of domestic consultation, the it added.

The halloumi issue is a technical one and is not political “like some try to present it”, Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis said.

“We included in the registration file that the geographic area where halloumi will be manufactured will be the whole of Cyprus, in order to give the possibility to the Turkish Cypriots to produce it,” he said.

He added that when the product was registered producers would use the word halloumi or hellim or both.

“We have included in the domestic consultation … Turkish Cypriot producers who submitted their objections which we investigated. All these prove our position is not to exclude but secure the interests of all the producers, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots,” Kouyialis said.

He added that halloumi should unite Cypriots and not divide them.

“The government will secure the interests of all producers so Turkish Cypriots need not to worry,” Kouyialis said.

In July, following the application the agriculture ministry filed to the European Commission to register halloumi as a PDO, the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KIBSO) had started a campaign asking to be inspectors for the dairy’s production in the north, since they feared that when halloumi was registered as a PDO the Turkish Cypriot producers would not be able to use the name hellim any more since as a PDO it would have to be produced according to the registration’s standards and Turkish Cypriot producers would be excluded from the process.

Kouyialis had reassured everyone that there were provisions for production controls in the north to be conducted by international organisations.

NICOSIA municipality announced yesterday it would be purchasing 13 mini-buses to connect the capital’s historic centre to the greater urban area.

The aim is to revitalise the historic centre by encouraging accessibility through sustainable means of transport.

The small size of the buses will be ideal for movement within the walls and they are both user-and-environmentally friendly the municipality said. The vehicles will also have low-floor easy access for people in wheelchairs.

“Another goal is gradual independence from the use of a private car for movement within the walls and the constant increase in residents, workers and visitors.”

The buses, which can transport up to 20 passengers at a time are to be delivered within eight months.

The €1.1m deal was signed by Nicosia mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis and the general manager of the Cyprus Import Corporation Ltd (Mercedes Benz) Alexis Anninos and it is funded by the programme to revitalise Green Line areas.

By Evie Andreou

CATTLE farmers said yesterday a €2.1m fine imposed on them is unfair and they will refuse to pay, their association POA said yesterday.

POA head Savvas Evangelou said: “We will appeal to the Supreme court because we believe that this fine should have not been imposed.”

The fines were imposed for by watchdog Committee for the Protection of Competition (CPC) for price-fixing and other irregularities and have to be paid within six months.

Evangelou said the previous CPC committee had found no irregularities and that their investigations had included the whole supply chain, from the farmers to middlemen to retail.

He added that for a clearer picture CPC should also investigate the Grains Commission since it has the ability to store huge volumes of grain and is able to control feed prices.

“We will not pay the fine. Even if we wanted to we don’t have the money” Evangelou said.

He said cattle farmers were facing economic difficulties and that some find it hard to even buy feed for their animals.

But the CPC has said that after reviewing and evaluating all available evidence, it had found the farmers in breach of three articles of competition law.

The probe focused on the nature and terms of POA’s cooperation with its members, and the association’s actions and practices in selling milk from January 1, 2009 to May 28, 2012.

In its decision, CPC noted that the fresh cows’ milk market was restricted by quotas, meaning that market entry was incumbent on being allocated a production quota by the authorities and as such, the market is inherently restricted, and any actions or practices contrary to the principles of free competition could be particularly harmful to competition and the subsequent stages in the chain of production that use cows’ milk as a raw material such as the dairy industry.

The CPC also called unsubstantiated POA’s claim that paying the fine would jeopardise the viability of cattle farmers since the association’s bank deposits had suffered a haircut in 2013 haircut.

Farmers’ association EVROAGROTIKOS, said the CPC’s recent investigation was restricted only to the producers and that was lacking evidence since in order to define the producers’ costs they should have investigated the prices of grain and cattle feed.

The association announced that they expect the CPC to show the same sensitivity in other sectors like fuel, bread and bottled water.

By Elias Hazou

Recent remarks by energy minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis have given rise to conjecture that offshore Block 12 may not hold additional exploitable gas reserves other than the Aphrodite well.

After announcing last Friday that drilling at the Onasagoras play in Block 9 came up dry, the minister was asked by journalists about Noble Energy’s plans for their block 12 concession.

Lakkotrypis said the Texas-based company has yet to plan out either additional appraisal drilling at Aphrodite or exploratory drilling at another site.

Citing its sources, daily Politis reports that latest data available to the Americans have shown that two other earmarked targets within block 12 do not hold commercially exploitable gas reserves.

The company could not be reached for comment.

But gas expert Charles Ellinas told the Mail it is possible that the company has seen fresh 3D seismic data pointing to little gas reserves at other sites.

The amount of gas that makes a play commercially exploitable is not set in stone, but varies depending on factors like the distance from the shore or the nearest infrastructure.

As such, Ellinas said, a potential well in Block 12 might contain as much as 1 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, but that amount would still not render it exploitable, due to high drilling costs.

Drilling – whether exploratory or appraisal – can cost anywhere from $100m to $150m.

Previous drills by Noble Energy at Aphrodite well have yielded 3.6 to 6 tcf of natural gas. It’s understood, however, that privately the Americans subsequently narrowed down the quantities to around 3.1 tcf, based on a 90 per cent probability, or P90 in industry jargon.

Drilling a second appraisal well at Aphrodite might therefore not be worth it, since all the follow-up operation would achieve is narrow down a bit more the gas quantities. This would be unnecessary, given that the reservoir already has proven reserves that are commercially exploitable.

As it stands, the gas at Aphrodite is more than enough to justify a pipeline linking up with BG’s Egyptian operations, a potential buyer of Noble’s Cyprus gas.

Alternatively, anywhere from 2 tcf to 3 tcf is sufficient to monetise a find using compressed natural gas (CNG) solutions. Floating LNG, as a rule of thumb, requires between 3 tcf and 4 tcf.

Earlier this year, Noble officials in Cyprus stated they are now looking at pipelines as their top option, with FLNG and CNG as alternatives.

On the other hand, Ellinas said, an additional gas find by Noble in Block 12 could be usable provided it’s in close proximity to Aphrodite. A smaller reservoir with enough gas – perhaps on the order of 0.5 tcf to 1 tcf – could be linked to Aphrodite via sub-sea infrastructure.

This could likewise apply to the Onasagoras prospect in block 9, explained Ellinas.

The government has not said how much gas ENI-KOGAS discovered there, only that the quantities are not exploitable. Although the amount might be as high as 1 tcf, as a standalone prospect it is not commercially useful.

But assuming that drilling at the Amathusa field –ENI’s next target – comes up with a usable quantity, that could then bring back into play the Onasagoras well were the two reservoirs to be linked. The two prospects are separated by just 55km.

Preliminary data for Amathusa suggest that, although the geological probability for gas is lower than it was for Onasagoras, due to its sheer size the prospect could hold substantial gas.

Ellinas stressed also that, although the Onasagoras results were disappointing, this should be put into context.

“Globally, the success rate ranges from 40 to 45 per cent, so roughly one out of two drills comes up dry,” he said.

“It’s not an exact science, there’s always a hit-and-miss element. You can’t know for sure if there’s any gas, or how much, until you’ve drilled.”

The expert said also that a 2010 report by the US Geological Survey – which estimated a mean of 122 tcf of recoverable gas in the Levant Basin – still holds up.

So far, about a third of the basin area has been explored. Combined, the finds at Israel’s Leviathan, Tamar and a couple of smaller plays, plus the Aphrodite reservoir, come to approximately 40 tcf –about a third of the quantities mentioned by the US Geological Survey.

“So there are good indications that the Cyprus prospects in the Levant Basin – blocks 2, 3, 9 and 12 – hold considerable gas. You just need to drill at the right spot,” noted Ellinas.

By George Psyllides

POLICE officers last night searched the offices of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) in connection with claims made by a referee regarding widespread match fixing in the country’s top league.

The search was decided during a meeting headed by the attorney-general earlier in the day.

Panayi has given lengthy statements to police, as well as recordings, and other evidence documenting extensive corruption in the football authorities.

From the little information that leaked, it appears Panayi has named officials and politicians as being involved.

CFA chairman Costakis Koutsokoumnis welcomed the investigation.

“They can take anything they want. It is an opportunity to get everything out in the open,” he said after an informal general meeting yesterday evening.

The meeting decided it was premature to appoint its own investigating officers since the police prove was still at an early stage.

Koutsokoumnis said it took guts to do what Panayi did and called on anyone with evidence to step forward.

“It would be good to investigate the evidence and I urge you to do the same if you have any,” he told reporters.

However, the CFA chairman claimed there was an “air of exaggeration” as he urged everyone to lower the tones.

Koutsokoumnis said bad refereeing did not mean a game was fixed and just because a ref appointment was disapproved by a team it did not mean there was an ulterior motive.

“Football must emerge stronger from this. If there is any form of ring it must be dismantled,” he said.

Regarding him calling referees before games, Koutsokoumnis said he was involved with football for the past 20 years and he had never called a ref for anything else but to encourage them.

When asked if any other chairman did that in other countries, Koutsokoumnis said no bombs were placed in those countries and the refs were not under such pressure that would affect their performance.

UNDER the slogan ‘Football Remembers’ the British High Commission in Nicosia yesterday organised a friendly football match marking a Christmas Day spontaneous ceasefire and a historic football match in 1914, during World War I.

Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots braved the rainy weather and joined forces against the ‘international’ team which consisted mainly of UN personnel, at a football pitch in the buffer zone, close to the Ledra Palace checkpoint.

The Cypriot team consisted of Greek and Turkish Cypriot negotiators Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ergun Olgun, Semsi Oyuncu, Hasan Sencar, Sertac Yalcin, Huseyin Ekmekci, Ibrahim Diran, Michael Seraphim, Andreas Koulendis, Lambros Lambrou, Mustafa Zurnacilar, Kemal Koseoglu, Huseyin Ercen, Mehmet Kandilli, Halil Cimendag and Ertan Aligullu.

“We are remembering today 100 years ago when during the worst conflict the world had at that time seen, there was a pause in hostilities and people on both sides, spoke to each other, exchanged gifts and on occasion played football,” said British High Commissioner Ric Todd opening the event.

This is, we feel, he added, “a very important symbol in the world today, when no matter what conflict we may find there is always a scope for optimism and for hope and the human spirit to come together no matter how bad the circumstances may be.”

Veteran Cypriot football players Andreas Siantris (APOEL) and Sevim Ebeoglu (AEL) were honoured at the end of the football match.

The two men, who both played wearing number 10 in their respective teams at a time when football was united in Cyprus are good friends and enjoyed watching the match together and remembering old times.

During half time the two negotiators as well as foreign diplomats took part in a penalty shoot out.

The international team won the match by 5 – 2.

President Nicos Anastasiades appears ready to carry out radical changes across the board, even proposing a government of wider acceptance.

“I am ready to hear the party recommendations,” he said in an interview with daily Phileleftheros on Sunday, before his return from New York where he underwent heart surgery.

He conceded that there have been delays in the necessary reforms but said he was ready for decisive changes to vital areas of public life.

Anastasiades also announced changes to the structure of the presidency and the operation of the Presidential Palace.

To former government partner DIKO, the president was basically admitting a dead-end.

“He is forced to say this because of the political isolation and the dead ends that his choices, decisions, and handling have put our country in, both as regards the Cyprus problem and the economy,” DIKO spokeswoman Christiana Erotocritou said.

The party said there was a need for a new strategy on the Cyprus problem and an assertive policy regarding the economy to bring about changes to the terms of the bailout.

Main opposition AKEL was quick to respond that a wider coalition government was impossible due to the difference in ideology.

“The reason is simple. There is a chasm between the government positions and philosophy and AKEL, especially on the economy,” spokesman Giorgos Loukaides said.

He also said the two sides had significant differences as regards the handling of the Cyprus problem.

“Therefore, such an objective is in effect unfeasible.”

By Constantinos Psillides

EFTYCHIOS Malekkides, the manager of the Paphos Sewage Board (SAPA) who allegedly received kickbacks to inflate the town’s sewage system project budget, gave a lengthy statement to police investigators regarding his role in the case.

Malekkides was forced into spilling the beans after former Paphos Mayor Savvas Vergas gave his own statement last week, claiming that Malekkides was the brains behind the operation and that he tried to put a stop to it but was blackmailed by the SAPA manager into keeping quiet.

Malekkides on the other hand claims that he was the victim and that he was forced to take part in the bribery ring by Vergas and his predecessor, Fidias Sarikas.

Sarikas, currently an EDEK MP, has rejected Malekkides claims and has already consented into lifting his parliamentary immunity so investigators can freely take his statement. While Sarikas was not specifically named during the court hearing, he is the only one fitting Malekkides description which was what prompted the MP’s reaction.

According to the case’s head investigator, Eleftherios Kyriakou, Malekkides has already admitted guilt in accusations laid against him regarding Phase 5 of the Paphos sewage project. The manager was suspected of receiving kickbacks from a Greece-based waste management company, so he would secure a contract for a waste-process plant for them.

Malekkides went on to claim that the sewerage construction project was crooked from the very start.

According to Kyriakou’s statement, during Sunday’s remand hearing of Malekkides, Vergas and three former municipal councillors, Efstathios Efstathiou of DIKO, Vasos Vassiliou of AKEL and Giorgos Michaelides of DISY, the SAPA manager claimed that he was approached in 2000 by Sarikas and an unidentified former municipal councillor now deceased. They allegedly informed Malekkides that they knew of a Greek businessman who had ties with a German company that would submit a bid for the project and that he was willing to pay the two of them off so he could secure the contract.

Malekkides at first declined but claimed that in the end he gave in after being pressured by the pair. He said that it was the first time in his career that he accepted a bribe and that he did so because of financial troubles.

He told authorities that the deal was sealed in the house of a Cypriot sub-contractor who was acting on behalf of the Greek businessman. He claimed a 3 per cent commission on the submitted bid was agreed upon.

This was later translated to 400,000 CYP (€680,000) which was part of the bid, amounted up to €7,480,000. The Cypriot sub-contractor, according to Malekkides, told him that the kickback money would come out of the total, since the bid breakdown would be €680,000 less than the bid submitted.

Malekkides told the sub-contractor that that would be illegal and it would result in the contract being cancelled.

The company was awarded the tender in the end and Malekkides told investigators that he travelled to Athens along with Sarikas and the former municipal councillor and that they met with the Greek businessman in a bank, where each was handed €20,000 in cash.

But all did not go as planned since a short while after work started on the project it was halted, due to a disagreement between the sub-contractor and the German company. The SAPA manager said that the sub-contractor lamented that he was losing money on the project and that he wanted the municipality to pay him the money he spent bribing the three of them. Malekkides said that he was willing to back down from the deal and not claim his share of the money –so the project could be completed- but the other two refused to give in.

Iacovos Iacovou CEO of Iacovou Brothers, the company that was awarded the tender for Phase 1, rejected Malekkides claims. In a statement given to the police on Saturday, Iacovou said that the project cost came up to €9 million due to delays and additional work required and that his company was paid the money in 2008. Iacovou claimed that Malekkides was the one who came around looking for kickbacks, threatening the CEO in 2007 that he would delay the payout to the company by five years if he didn’t get any money. The company CEO, according to what the head investigator told the court, finally agreed to a €102,000 bribe which Malekkides received when visiting the company’s headquarter in Larnaca on two separate occasions.

In his statement the SAPA manager went on to say that Phase 2 was no different than Phase 1. Once again bidding contractors approached state officials promising them money for being awarded the contract.

Malekkides claimed that he had a change of heart and wanted to put and end to the corruption cycle but was told that the sum of €200,000 was already agreed upon between members of the municipal council (Efstathiou, Michaelides and Vassiliou are mentioned along with then mayor Savvas Vergas) and the construction companies that were awarded the contract, MEDCON and General Construction Cyprus. Malekkides claimed that the three councillors and the mayor told him that part of the money would go to football clubs and the rest would be divided amongst themselves.

Malekkides said that he insisted the tender process be transparent and that he was “sick and tired of the whole mess.” The SAPA manager said that he was under Vergas’ thumb and that he was used by all involved to carry bribe money around.

In 2009 he said that he met with a representative from MEDCON in a Paphos hotel, accompanied by Efstathios Eftasthiou, where he received the money.

Antonis Toumazis, CEO of ATLAS PANTOU admitted to paying Malekkides the money but claimed that the SAPA manager demanded that money to arrange for his company to be paid for the extra work done on the project, a total of €3.5 million.

The CEO’s of all the construction companies included in the statements of everyone involved in the case have been arrested, had their statements taken and later released. It is understood that they will be called on to testify as prosecution witnesses.

MORE than 40 convicts will receive a presidential pardon this Christmas, Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou said yesterday.

Nicolaou said that former Central Bank governor Christodoulos Christodoulou, who was found guilty of tax evasion on October 27 and sentenced to five months in prison, would not be among them.

“He doesn’t fulfil the criteria,” Nicolaou told CyBC.

He said that each year the same period, it was customary practice for pardons to be given to inmates by the President after suggestions by the attorney-general or his deputy.

He said only inmates who have served at least half of their sentence by December 25, and were not convicted for murder, drugs or sex crimes could be pardoned.

“This year 43 people will receive the pardon; 23 Cypriots sentenced for criminal offences, five Cypriots who were in the open prison for debts and 15 foreign nationals,” Nicolaou said.

The list of convicts eligible for pardon totalled 75 – 40 Cypriots and 35 foreigners.

The list included the names of the three firemen convicted in 2013, in connection with the July 2011 blast at Mari that left 13 people dead.

The three, Fire Service chief Andreas Nicolaou, deputy chief Charalambos Charalambous, and former head of disaster response team EMAK Andreas Loizides were sentenced to two years in prison.

On Friday, Nicolaou was acquitted on appeal while the appeals of the other two were rejected.

THE population in the government controlled areas decreased by almost 1.0 per cent last year according to the statistical services’ demographic report for 2013.

The report gives an account of population developments and provides data on fertility, mortality, marriages, divorces and migration.

According to the report, the population in the government-controlled areas was estimated at 858,000 at the end of 2013 compared to 865,900 in the previous year, recording a decrease of 0,9per cent.

Births have also decreased. The report shows 9,341 births in 2013, compared to 10,161 in 2012, and the fertility rate, which gives the mean number of children per woman was estimated at 1.3 in 2013 and has, since 1995, remained below the replacement level of 2.1.

Life expectancy at birth is estimated at 80 years for males and 84.8 for females, while the mortality rate is 6.0 deaths per thousand.

Marriages have also decreased with last year showing 235 fewer than 2012. The report also showed the number of civil marriages was almost three times more than Church weddings.

A slight decrease has also been recorded in divorces. Last year 1,857 divorces were recorded, down from 2,036 in 2012.

THE British bases yesterday warned motorists that it was reducing the speed limit on the old Limassol-Paphos road passing through the Episkopi British Base area.

The speed limit will be reduced from 65 to 50 kph and there will be two new pelican crossings in place to allow children going to school to cross the road safely, the bases said in an announcement.

“Please be aware of these changes and take care whilst driving through these areas,” it added.