More people to be investigated over Turkish Cypriot property use

Eleven more people from the advisory committees on management of Turkish Cypriot properties will also be examined by the audit office and the attorney general’s office, according to reports on Wednesday.

The eleven names were published by daily Politis, which also named the 16 individuals from the Turkish Cypriot Property Management Service who will be examined.

They are officers and staff currently at the service, while the 11 names are people from the district advisory committees.

On Tuesday, the names were submitted to the House Refugee Committee six months after committee president Nicos Kettiros had requested it from Interior Minister Nicos Nouris.

The committee heard that the 16 individuals received a property themselves or through companies in which they are shareholders, or close family members did.

“The list needs to be handled carefully to prevent a witch hunt,” Kettiros told CyBC after the meeting.

The list, he said, will be sent to the Audit office, which is already conducting a review into Turkish Cypriot properties being used for business purposes.

The house committee will also be sending the list to the Attorney General’s office to determine if there were any illegal actions committed in receiving these properties.

In October a new proposal will be submitted to make the law clear over who is allowed to benefit from Turkish Cypriot properties.

Kettiros told the Cyprus Mail that the Attorney General’s office is already looking into creating more specific criteria on who can benefit from these properties.

He said the committee will next week discuss the list further in the presence of the Attorney General, the Audit office, and the interior minister.