Cyprus-Forum.com

[Svetlana]

someone buys a ship and sinks it, now it is going to be raised and then sunk again...and the taxpayer is footing the bill.

‘Touch the ship and have you hands cut off’
By Nathan Morley

THE MAYOR of Paralimni has lashed out in a furious outburst at a government plan to raise the wreck of a boat he ordered to be scuttled off the coast of Protaras.

Mayor Andreas Evangelou threatened to ‘cut the hands’ of anyone who touches the Liberty ship after the Fisheries Department issued a tender to have the wreck, a former Russian cargo ship, raised.

“They’ll have their hands cut if they touch the ship. Please understand that this ship is now in the jurisdiction of Paralimni Municipality,” he added.

The Fisheries Department insist vessel was illegally sunk by Paralimni Municipality, which they claim, did not meet proposed safety and environmental requirements.

The threat shocked staff at the Fisheries Department, who heavily criticised the sinking and claim that the municipality had not been granted the necessary licence.

Head of the Fisheries Department Loizos Loizides told the Cyprus Mail that the tender process had been opened and he expected work to raise the ship to begin next year.

“As a ministry we have to apply the law and according to existing legislation and the sinking of wrecks in order to create reefs has a regulated procedure to be followed, including the cleaning of the vessel and a study to find the best place to sink the vessel,” he said.

Loizides confirmed the municipality was in the process of acquiring the relevant licence when they prematurely sunk the ship.

“Our procedure was not followed by the owners of the Liberty which is Paralimni Municipality and we don’t accept this. We have consulted the Attorney General and we also have a case pending against them on this matter.”

The tenders, which must meet an estimated budget of €50,000, must cover the raising, cleaning and re-sinking of the Liberty.

The municipality bought the vessel at an auction late last year for €12,000 with the intention of using it to create a man-made reef at Protaras.

Evangelou has continually defended the decision to sink the Liberty in order to create a diving attraction, saying everything was perfectly legal and took place openly, in the knowledge of the Merchant Shipping Department, the Port Authority and the CTO.

Loizides refused to be drawn on the outburst of Evangelou, saying that he enjoyed a ‘good relationship’ with Paralimni council, despite the Liberty matter.

The mayor of Paralimni was unavailable for comment last night.






Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2009

[BOF]

word for word correct Lana.....
When the mayor says "cut your hands off" i think its because neither knows what the other one is doing!