Cyprus-Forum.com

[RAFAELLA]

British fugitive vanishes from north
A Cyprus Mail article By Simon Bahceli

AROUND 400 mostly British investors faced uncertainty yesterday over whether properties they had bought in the Pendadaktolos mountain village of Klepini were part of a scam masterminded by notorious British fugitive Garry Robb.

Robb, wanted by the UK police for serious drugs charges, shot to infamy after BBC documentary Kenyon Confronts found him in 2003 living in luxury in Kyrenia, after having escaped justice. Now it seems Robb has left Cyprus, leaving many of his investors in doubt over whether they will ever see the homes on which they have spent tens of thousands of pounds.

After settling in northern Cyprus, Robb involved himself in the lucrative but risky property industry there. However, according to a number of sources, he has not been seen in north Cyprus since July and is currently believed to be in Thailand, creating doubts over the status of AGA Ltd, a company set up by Robb and a number of Turkish Cypriot associates.

News of Robb’s “disappearance” emerged on Monday in the north’s daily Volkan, which claimed all building on AGA’s largest and most ambitious development, the Amaranta Project in Klepini, had come to a halt. It also claimed that Robb was in Thailand, having taken with him “a significant part of” £10 million worth of investors’ money.

However, Robb’s former lawyer Talat Kursat, whose own assets in Cyprus have been frozen by the north’s ‘finance ministry’ because of his involvement with Robb, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday almost all the money he transferred to Robb’s account in Cyprus had been spent on expenses relating to Amaranta and other projects, and that only a fraction of the money had been transferred to Robb’s account in Thailand.

“I was in charge of collecting monthly payments from clients. The money would then be transferred from my account to Robb’s or given out in cheques to Robb or for other expenses,” Kursat said. It was only when in August he attempted to transfer £1.5 million sterling – Robb’s share of the profits – into Robb’s account in Bangkok that suspicions were raised, Kursat said.

“A Hong Kong bank that was acting as intermediary became suspicious and notified the financial authorities in Britain, which blocked the transaction,” he said.
Soon after, Kursat’s own assets at the HSBC bank in north were frozen by the Turkish Cypriot authorities pending an enquiry into AGA’s business activities.

A spokesperson for the north’s ‘finance ministry’ yesterday said it had no authority to carry out an investigation, and that so far all it had been ordered to do by the ‘Attorney-general’ was freeze Kursat’s assets.

Asked whether he knew the current whereabouts of Robb, Kursat said, “As far as I know he’s in Thailand, although he says he wants to come back and sort this thing out.”
One of Robb’s former clients, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Mail yesterday he was £20,000 sterling out of pocket after investing in a property in the Amaranta project.

“We agreed on the specifications of the house, but once built none of them matched. My complaints fell on deaf ears, so now I’m taking him to court. I have no title deed, no nothing. I doubt if I’ll ever see my money”.

Kursat said he had also received calls from clients of AGA worried about their investments.

“I have told them that if Robb does not come back and solve the problem they will have no alternative but to take legal action,” he said. He added that Robb had also asked him for legal representation in a case aimed at clearing his name. Kursat said he had refused, citing “other reasons” for not taking on the case.

Meanwhile, statements, apparently from Robb himself, have appeared on north Cyprus property discussion sites claiming he would be arrested if he returns to the north. However, a spokesman for the Turkish Cypriot police said they had received no instruction from the ‘Attorney-general’ to arrest Robb. The AG himself was unavailable for comment, either on Robb’s possible arrest or the enquiry into Kursat’s business dealings.

In May a European arrest warrant and Interpol ‘red bulletin’ was issued against Robb for carrying out construction projects on Greek Cypriot-owned properties abandoned after the 1974 Turkish invasion. Warrants and Interpol ‘red bulletins’ were also issued against four of his business partners, all of whom were Turkish Cypriots. No action has yet been taken against any of those named.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/
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Anyone esle willing to buy illegal property at the occupied area? :twisted:

[Anglo]

Hundreds are lining up to buy as you speak. And the north's property market is healthier than the south's and will only get stronger and stronger despite crooks like this and the negative publicity it generates.

[Piratis]

Hundreds are lining up to buy as you speak. And the north's property market is healthier than the south's and will only get stronger and stronger despite crooks like this and the negative publicity it generates.

"Crooks like this"? You mean crooks like all that "buy" stolen property in the occupied areas in order to take advantage of the human rights violations of 100s of thousands of people. The occupied areas are indeed full of crooks, and no doubt there will be many more.

However these crooks should know that the illegal actions that they do will not go unpunished.

[Anglo]

You are deluding yourself. How do you think they will be punished? There are no enforcable legal mechanisms and the only political solution likely is the Annan Plan which does not punish current users of dispossessed properties.

[Kifeas]

You are deluding yourself. How do you think they will be punished? There are no enforcable legal mechanisms and the only political solution likely is the Annan Plan which does not punish current users of dispossessed properties.

Get real my friend, get real, ...unless of course you are one of those benefiting from this illegal exploitation of GC properties in the occupied north, in which case I can understand and explain such a blatant denial on your behalf to face and more importantly ...admit the realities.

The Annan plan, as it was drafted and then rejected in its last version, will never be the solution of the Cyprus problem. If the GCs rejected it then, there is no way they can accept it, or anything close to it, now or any time in the future. The GCs nullified it on the 24/04/2004, the EU nullified it later with the counter declaration, and as of October the 3rd 2005, Turkey has nullified it too, ...through the signing its accession-negotiating framework.

Who will punish those who illegally sell and buy GC properties in the north? Turkey my friend, ...Turkey! ...If it ever wants to see the door of the EU, ...even from a distance!

[RAFAELLA]

Hundreds are lining up to buy as you speak. And the north's property market is healthier than the south's and will only get stronger and stronger despite crooks like this and the negative publicity it generates.

Purchasing Property
Before purchasing property anywhere in Cyprus you are strongly advised to seek independent qualified legal advice.
Property issues are closely linked to the political situation (see Cyprus Country Profile). There are a number of potential practical, financial and legal implications, particularly for those considering buying property in the north – these relate to the non-recognition of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, the possibility of a future political settlement in Cyprus, and claims to ownership from people displaced in 1974. There is also a risk that purchasers would face legal proceedings in the courts of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as attempts to enforce judgements from the courts of the Republic of Cyprus elsewhere in the EU, including the UK. Separately, there are specific rules for foreigners purchasing property in the north and you should ensure you are fully aware of these.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pag ... 3618387279

With all due respect, but Brits are not famous for their intelligence.
Any person with basic common sense having in mind the illegality that goes on for 31 years, having in mind the advice-warning of the UK foreign ministry which is found above and these latest news about that crook who took advantage of the illegality and naive buyers - most of them Brits - wouldn't buy a single stone not whole property.

From your sayings, I quess that you are probably one of those Brits who took advantage of this illegality. I hope more Brits or anyone else who buys illegal property at the occupied areas have the same "treatment" as they deserve it

[Svetlana]

Dear Rafaella

You say 'Brits are not famous for their intelligence', what leads you to that conclusion? Do you have any supporting evidence? For a small population they have been a major power and contributed much in terms of inventions etc.

Lana

[Alexios]

Dear Rafaella

You say 'Brits are not famous for their intelligence', what leads you to that conclusion? Do you have any supporting evidence? For a small population they have been a major power and contributed much in terms of inventions etc.

Lana

Dont you know that the most intelligent people on earth are the Greek Cypriots???Sooner or later,the Brits,the Americans,the Turks,the UN,the EU,and every other fascist who dares doubt our natural superiority will be obliged to accept us as the superpower in the meditterranean (after we throw the turks into the sea that is..)))

[Svetlana]

Hi Alexios

Well, I am still awaiting to be dominated by some 'superpower' Greek Cypriot

Lana

PS Members of the Cyprus Forum need not apply LOL!

[Alexios]

Hi Alexios

Well, I am still awaiting to be dominated by some 'superpower' Greek Cypriot

Lana

PS Members of the Cyprus Forum need not apply LOL!

Dominated??? You make me blush..))