State appeals co-op bank acquittals

The attorney-general filed appeals Thursday against a recent criminal court decision, which acquitted all defendants of fraud charges relating to loans secured from the Strovolos cooperative bank.

In a tweet, the Legal Service said Giorgos Savvides appealed the December 16 decision that acquitted former central co-op bank boss Erotokritos Chlorakiotis, former Strovolos co-op boss Demetrakis Stavrou, and former co-op development commissioner Constantinos Lyras of charges relating to conspiracy to defraud, obtaining goods under false pretences, unlawful acquisition of property, and money laundering.

The indictment also included Maria Chlorakiotou, Carolina Angelopoulou, Maria Chrysanthou, Giorgos Mavreas, Detiero Enterprises, CHL Enterprises, and Ktimatiki Kotrona Ltd.

In its ruling, the court acknowledged unethical practices by bank officials in securing the loans but said it had not been presented with hard evidence proving fraud.

The defendants were accused of conspiring to defraud by securing illegal loans worth CYP2.1m (€3.6m) from the Strovolos co-op between May and July 2007.

The defendants were also alleged to have failed to disclose the real reason for a €119,602 loan and the beneficiary.

They also allegedly provided false information, including the values of two properties used as collateral, to secure CYP2m (around €3.4m) from the same bank.

They had also been accused of forging the minutes of the bank’s managing committee to show that it had approved a CYP200,000 (€341,720) loan to Detiero Enterprises.