This week in North Cyprus > 3rd-10th March 2006
Robb set to return
The TRNC government is ready to let disgrace property developer Gary Robb return to the country - just weeks after stripping him of his citizenship, saying he had failed to reveal he was wanted by British police. Sources say they were willing to let back in to finish work on 400 houses being built by his Aga Development Construction company at Amaranta Valley, Arapköy.
Mr Robb who was alleged to have taken millions of pounds from the company accounts and fled to Thailand last year, has sent a letter to the government asking to be allowed back in with a guarantee that he will not be arrested.
Officials froze his accounts in October last year and seized his properties threatening him with arrest if he tried to return.
But the U-turn is thought to have come about to save the TRNC government from a massive bill for completing the project, which they had promised to take on.
The unfinished work has seen houses left half built and without electricity, whilst hundreds of people who have paid money for their properties have yet to see them finished, and some are living in temporary rented accommodation. More than 80 court cases against the company are waiting to be heard. Mr Robbs letter was delivered to the Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas and Interior Ministers by his Mother, Mavis.
The took the issue to the Council of Ministers which felt letting him return to fulfil his obligations would spare them a big problem. Although no final decision has been taken they, have consulted law officers as to whether letting Mr Robb back in would be legal.
Interior Minister undersecutary Hasan Findik says: If Garry Robb were to come to the Island and finish off the constructions with his own money, the government may be in favour as they have always said.
The economy of the country depends largely on the construction sector so we have to consider the issue from that point of view. The important thing is for the people to get their houses and once this is resolved, Aga developments should be banned from undertaking any further construction projects while Gary Robb should pay for whatever he has done.
TRNC Attorney-General Alin Sait said Mr Robbs potential return did not mean the end of criminal investigation against him. They would continue and he would face that price to pay if found guilty. A final evaluation on Mr Robb's return depended on his evaluation, whether he would be arrested or not on his return was not clear and depended on the seriousness of any alleged crimes.
The chairman of Home buyers Pressure Group Marian Stokes said her sympathies lay with the people who had brought houses from Aga Development Construction.
We have dealt with countless cases where people have paid money up front on this development only to see their hopes of a home in Northern Cyprus seemingly dashed.
"We are not talking here about people who have endless amounts to spend on a property - many people have invested their life savings in their homes. It is they who are suffering in this whose sorry mess and the TRNC government needs to decide exactly what is going to happen to this site and as soon as possible.
CYPRUS PARADISE BOSS HAILS THOMPSON U-TURN
British travel agent Thomson has backed down and put North Cyprus holiday brochures back on the shelves of nearly 800 branches across the UK a week after withdrawing them under pressure from the Greek Cypriot tourism officials.
Alan Süleyman owner of the London based Cyprus Paradise tour operator which had threatened to sue Thomson for breach of contract hailed the U-turn as a major victory.
But he regretted that the change of heart discovered when brochures reappered on Thursday had "left the Greek Cypriots off the hook".
Lawyers for Cyprus Paradise had also been looking into the possibility of suing th South's Cyprus Tourism Organization for for its part in getting the brochures removed last week.
Mr Süleyman said last week that Thomson had told him the CTO was reducing to pay "a substantial amount of money" owed to the firm in the form of subsidies until the Cyprus Paradise brochures were removed from the 773 branches' shelves.
In a letter to Cyprus Paradise's lawyers on Thursday Thomson admitted being in breach of its contract which gave the brochures "must rack" status until the end of this month and invited Mr Süleyman to submit a claim for damages.
He said yesterday"We've given the CTO a bloody nose, and although they've escaped this time they'll be more careful next time- we'll be watching them and we have the law on our side."
Land Registry puts its house in order
The Land Registry in the TRNC is being restructured for the first time. Officials say they hope it will result in quicker, more efficient service for customers.
Plans include computer registering more than one million title deeds and 6,000 maps with the help of universities in the TRNC.
The department's target is for all information to be on computer by the end of the year and already 110,000 title deeds have been registered in two months. When the process is complete, the aim is that all people involved on showing a passport or identity card can be issued with a "pin" number which they can use to access information on their land via the internet so that even if they are abroad they will be able to get updates. Other information they will be able to see will include what land they own, the history of the property and how accessible it is.
Currency exchange rates
US Dollar |
1.29 |
UK Pound |
2.27 |
Cyprus Pound |
2.60 |
Euro |
1.55 |
The weather this week in North Cyprus
Sunny weather will continue in most places un till Tuesday with a high of 18-21C, but a band of low pressure will bring showers and scattered thunder storms on Wednesday and Thursday, with a fall of 3-4C in temperatures. Winds will be moderate northerly to north westerly at first, becoming stronger with a risk of gale-force gusts on Thursday
Maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall last week
Town/City |
Minimum Temperature |
Maximum Temperature |
Rain |
Lefkosa |
3.0 |
21.2 |
- |
Ercan |
4.9 |
20.6 |
- |
Gazi Magusa |
7.0 |
20.7 |
- |
Girne |
10.0 |
20.0 |
- |
Güzelyurt |
4.4 |
20.4 |
- |
Resources: Cyprus Today
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