The Nicosia criminal court will decide on Thursday if Israeli land developer Simon Aykut, charged with the usurpation of Greek Cypriot property in the north, will remain in custody until March 26, when his hearing begins.

Aykut was arrested in early June and is accused of having developed and sold €43 million worth of property on Greek Cypriot land in the north.

On February 6 he pleaded not guilty to all 242 charges read against him in court.

On Tuesday, prosecutor Andreas Aristides cross-examined British doctor George Kaye, a defence witness.

Kaye had examined Aykut in jail on January 10 and, following specialised tests in two London laboratories, diagnosed prostate cancer.

The doctor informed the court of his expertise and explained the procedure followed and the new technology allowing the early detection of tumour cells.

Other evidence was presented regarding Aykut’s health in the form of correspondence with oncologists.

Aristides said the central prisons were obliged to provide Aykut with the medical care he needed or demanded and that the defendant was not in any immediate danger healthwise.

Defence lawyer Maria Neophytou said her client’s rights had been violated and explained that there had been suspicion of prostate cancer in August however Aykut was not examined until February 4 this year, just hours before he was due in court.

Neophytou said she was not arguing that Aykut was on his deathbed, however she questioned whether he was receiving adequate medical treatment.