| Τάσος Παπαδόπουλος - Beogradska Banka (Οι Νέοι Φάκελοι) 1 URL: Τάσος Παπαδόπουλος - Beogradska Banka (Οι Νέοι Φάκελοι) Financial Times: WORLD NEWS: Cyprus leader faces summons By Our International Staff, Financial Times Published: Jun 28, 2007 Cypriot president Tassos Papadopoulos may be called as a witness in a libel case in Cyprus. The case concerns allegations in the FT that his former law firm was linked to the illegal transfer of billions of dollars from Belgrade to Cyprus during UN embargoes against Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The president, the law firm Tassos Papadopoulos & Co and another partner in the firm are suing the FT for libel damages. Mr Papadopoulos, who in 2002 was leader of the Democratic party and a presidential candidate, was named by the FT as a member of "Cyprus' close-knit elite", which "instead of taking measures against Yugoslav sanctions busting . . . facilitated the transactions." Sanctions-busting is thought to have bankrolled at least two Balkan wars in the 1990s. According to the articles, Mr Papadopoulos' law firm registered on the island Yugoslav offshore companies subsequently identified in a UN war crimes report as fronts for money-laundering operations orchestrated by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. The articles quoted from an interview by Mr Papadopoulos with a Cypriot newspaper in June 2002, where he admitted his law office set up the companies but denied money laundering. He further denies any wrongdoing. The law firm dismisses the FT's reports as malicious, because of the imputation that the plaintiffs were involved in unlawful activities or were professionals of "questionable ethics". Since becoming president, Mr Papadopoulos has left the law firm. But Pavlos Angelides, chief lawyer for the FT, aims to put the head of state on the stand. Under Cyprus law, a summoned witness who fails to appear is liable to arrest and may be forcibly brought to court. As president of the republic, Mr Papadopoulos has immunity from prosecution. The trial, which began in April, has focused on the testimony of Pambos Ioannides, a one-time close associate of Mr Papadopoulos and partner in the firm. Mr Ioannides read a deposition, saying one of the law firm's clients, a Cyprus unit of a Serbian bank, Beogradska, did get cash flown in from its main office in Serbia to help it continue its operations after sanctions began. The Central Bank of Cyprus had verified the cash transfers were legally sound. "The plaintiffs are not aware that any of their clients, and particularly not Beogradska Banka or the companies they registered, violated any sanctions against Yugoslavia or broke any laws," said Mr Ioannides. "Nor would they have ever aided or abetted such a violation in any way." The trial was adjourned. Tags: τασος παπαδοπουλος tasos papadopoulos Beogradska Banka |