Cyprus-Forum.com

[bill cobbett]

I have adapted the following to suit a Cypriot forum.


Papas and Tolot were friends pre-1974. Both live in Nicosia one in the north and the other in the south. Tolot had some bad experiences at the hands of Papa’s friends in the past and vice-versa. The Great Power decides to open up Nicosia by demining Hermes Street.

Papas and Tolot decide to put the past behind them, to rekindle their friendship and to set up a company in which they are equal partners and they bid for and win the contract to clear the area of land-mines. Being clever Cypriots they don’t tell the Great Power that they have maps which tell them where the mines are and which makes their task a simple one. Tolot and Papas are making a fortune.

The Great Power finds out about the deception. Both are arrested for the deceit. Each one knows the other has been arrested. They are thrown in to separate cells so that they cannot communicate with each other as you see in the movies.

The Great Power offers each the same deal. Each knows that the same deal has been made to the other. Each knows they will not be told what the other has said until they have made their own decision public.

Here is the deal that has been offered both to Tolot and to Papas.

If you cooperate, and your partner does not, you will go free and your partner goes to jail for 20 years.

If your partner cooperates, and you do not, you go to jail for 20 years
and your partner goes free.

If you both cooperate, you will both go to jail for 10 years each.

If you both do not cooperate you will both go to jail for 5 years each.

If you were Talat or Papas, would you cooperate or not cooperate?