‘Omissions and gaps’ in management of TC properties

There are “omissions and gaps” in the management of Turkish Cypriot properties with only 65 per cent of them have been granted to refugees, data from the audit office reports showed on Friday.

Presenting the preliminary data before the house refugee committee, Auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides said a report on the management of commercial properties will be published in April, followed by another report in May. Those confirm allegations of mismanagement of TC properties.

“There are too many findings, almost everything we have seen has issues,” the AG noted at the meeting.

Citing indicative data from the report expected to be published in April, an official of the audit office said that only 65 per cent of the TC properties managed by the relevant department have been granted to refugees.

A main issue that appears to arise is property being granted without the proper disclosure.

“Individuals cannot exploit property that does not belong to them at the expense of the state, especially through opaque procedures and ‘black’ transactions,” the AG said, referring to the phenomenon of services being passed from one user to another in the form of subletting or otherwise, without being published by the manager.

In its report, the audit office also included findings that incomplete applications were examined, although there is a decision suggesting such applications should not be examined.

It was also reported that many issues were raised regarding the determination and payment of rent, as there appeared to be variations in the amount of rent without justification, as well as very long delays in the payment of rent, up to several years.

Issues also arise, according to the audit office, with changes of use, conversions of premises and cases of subletting, even to a second subtenant. Finally, the report also appears to identify problems with the power structure and decision-making in the TC property management service.

A report by the audit office is also in progress, which is dealing with the examination of possible family ties between tenants of TC properties and officials of the management service or members of the special and advisory committees that lease them.

One such case has already been identified and has been denounced and is currently before the AG, Michaelides said, thus it is possible that more may arise.

The report of the Audit Office on this matter is expected next May.

After the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee Nikos Kettiros, referred to the report prepared by the auditor-general, saying several details of appointed members of the committee emerge, while details of members of the advisory committees representing local government at the sessions are missing.

“Information will be sought from these members in relation to properties granted to them or their close relatives to examine whether the granting or management was done properly,” the Akel MP said.

The findings of the investigating officer of the interior ministry in relation to the officials of the management service and members of the special and advisory committees that grant TC services, is before the Legal Service, Kettiros said. The findings are being examined by the Attorney General, as legal issues may arise, he said.

The Legal Service, which had also been invited to today’s meeting, informed in a letter that it did not consider it necessary for a representative to be present, as a team had been set up to examine the case.

“It appears that large tracts of TC property have been granted to officials mainly in areas of Paphos, but also in other areas,” the chairman said.

He pointed out that the refugee committee was “attacked” when it previously complained of possible mishandling of those properties.

“Unfortunately, we are confirmed and I hope that the investigations will be completed as soon as possible, because, as the AG said, there is an issue with the software system of the administration service, in which some people can enter to delete or alter data.

“I am not saying that this has happened, but there is a possibility of it happening, because the system does not provide any security.”

The chairman also called on anyone who is interested in houses available through the TC property manager, to call the service for information on applications and postings on the website next week, as more available properties are expected to be announced when the new minister takes office.

The TC property management service has the obligation to post any announcement and publication on a board in local services for 30 days and to provide application forms to interested parties, Diko MP Zacharias Koulias pointed out in his own statements after the session.

Despite this, many people cannot submit applications or be informed through websites, the MP noted.

Meanwhile, TC properties are leased to municipalities and local authorities, Koulias said, citing as an example the municipality of Paphos, as well as the case of a TC land in the Mackenzie area in Larnaca, which has been turned into a paid parking lot, while displaced persons do not benefit from the revenues from its management.

“This is unacceptable, TC services are for displaced people and their organised groups,” he said, highlighting that the leasing of TC properties to local government organisations in free areas should be stopped.