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SOUTH
CYPRUS MAJOR MONEY LAUNDERING CENTRE (17.06.02)
In
a 58-page report prepared by Moren Tarkildse, the Assistant of Carla del
Ponte, the International Criminal Court Prosecutor of the former Yugoslavia,
it was stated that the former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic used
South Cyprus as an international money laundering centre in order to break the
embargoes imposed upon the former Yugoslavia.
The
report stated that the Law Bureau of DIKO leader Tasos Papadopulos’s
registered off-shore companies belonging to Milosevic’s brothers.
According
to the Greek Cypriot daily "Alithia", as reported in the Turkish
Cypriot press, the report pointed out that half a billion German Marks and
many other foreign currencies were transferred to South Cyprus and South
Cyprus is indicated as being the start of a huge and very complex
international money laundering web.
Pointing
out that the Milosevic administration set up eight companies in South Cyprus
and that through these companies money was transferred to various countries
worldwide the report stated that the purpose of these companies being formed
in South Cyprus was to break the embargo imposed upon the former Yugoslavia so
that arms could be bought for the Yugoslavian army.
Pointing
out that this very complex web had two bases, one in Yugoslavia and the other
in Greek Cypriot controlled Nicosia, the report added that income from the
Yugoslavian Customs Office before being transferred to bogus companies in
South Cyprus was first transferred to other Yugoslavian bodies and banks.
The
report also added that at least eight of the off-shore companies have accounts
with the Greek Cypriot Laiki Bank and with its branch in Greece and that the
off-shore companies in question are the administrators of the bank accounts of
the Yugoslavian officials of the "Beogradska Banka Cyprus Offshore
Banking Unit". The report continued by saying that the five companies who
get money in this way are "Neocom Trading Ltd.", "Nitrako
Inc.", "Microti Handels Ltd.", "Aviatrend Ltd.", and
"Abridge Trading Ltd." It also reported that the off-shore company
"Neocom" is involved in the purchase of helicopters and helicopter
spare parts.
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