Expats take property protest to London
By Jean Christou
A GROUP of British expats frustrated with the judicial system in Cyprus protested at Alexandra Palace London on Sunday where President Demetris Christofias was addressing a gathering of UK-based Cypriots.
The protest was led by Conor O’Dwyer, 38, from Surrey who bought a house off plan in Cyprus in 2005 and has since entered in to a lengthy legal battle with the developers.
Unable so far to receive justice in Cyprus, O’Dwyer decided to take his protest to London during Christofias’ visit at the weekend. Holding placards calling for justice and an end to corruption, the protestors camped out in front of the venue.
O’Dwyer was joined by the relatives of expats in Cyprus who are also experiencing legal difficulties over properties they have purchased on the island. Problems include non issuing of title deeds, structural faults, illegal building, or developers extorting immovable property tax and transfer fees, they say.
O’Dwyer said yesterday the protest went very well.
“We didn’t see the President ourselves but hundreds of guests came past our protest stand and accepted leaflets,” he said.
“Some were shocked at the severity of the cases represented but few were surprised with problems like the issuing of title deeds as their own families had fallen victim to this trap.”
He said the protestors were highlighting a broad range of issues and said it would be good to have the future support of the London Greek Cypriot community.
“Yesterday [Sunday] was a nice introduction,” he said.
O’Dwyer was badly beaten in Frenaros in January this year after taking photographs outside the house he owns in the village. The developers who sold him the property, and with whom he is engaged in a legal dispute, were later arrested and charged with assault. O’Dwyer, who details his entire case on the website
http://www.lyingbuilder.com, spent over a week in Larnaca hospital.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008
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