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News & Articles
Refugees file for European
arrest warrant against British estate agent
(By George
Psyllides - Cyprus Mail)
A GREEK Cypriot refugee
couple yesterday filed for a European arrest warrant against a British
real estate agent who was building on their property in the occupied
north.
The couple were the first to request a European arrest warrant under a
law amended in March, which increased penalties for illegal possession
and use of immovable property and paved the way for arrest warrants to
be issued for European citizens holding Greek Cypriot properties in
the occupied north.
The petition concerns 42-year-old Mark Unwin of Guildford, Surrey, who
started Unwin Estates along with his wife Hayran in December 1999.
Refugee Christos Mazios said he visited his orchard in Ayios Epiktitos
near Kyrenia three weeks ago and found out that Unwin estate agents
were working on a project on his property.
“We found this man’s details; he’s in the company together with his
wife.
“They are British, and the decided, they said, to come to Cyprus and
set up a business,” Mazios said.
“You feel bad when a foreigner comes and builds on your property
without you giving permission,” his wife Despina said.
The couple’s lawyer, Christodoulos Taramountas, said his client was
asking for a European arrest warrant against the estate agent.
“All his details are posted on a website where he advertises and
promotes the illegal sale of many other properties, apart from Mr
Mazio’s,” Taramountas said.
He said he understood the problem with Turkish Cypriots, but could not
understand how a British citizen could come to Cyprus and violate
Greek Cypriot properties.
“I cannot understand the posting on his website, where he says that
one day he decided to leave England and come and start a business in
northern Cyprus,” Taramountas said.
He said it was now up to the police to ask for a European arrest
warrant and put him on a list so that if he crossed into the
government-controlled areas he would be arrested.
According to the company website, there are four other Britons working
for Unwin, branch manager Peter Harrell, senior negotiators Phil
Shearston and Gerald Smith and negotiator Chris Ritchie.
“Unwin Estate Agents was the brain child of Hayran and Mark Unwin, a
professional couple, who after many years of enjoying the charms of
Northern Cyprus, decided it was about time others could share in their
delight.
“So together with their extensive personal experience in the real
estate industry and their love of the island the company was started,”
the website said.
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By Mary Antonescu -
mary@cyprus4properties.com
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