Ref: A00-300995 Case No. 871626 Macpherson II
Volume III, Pages 36-60, Monday 12th June, 1989
(In the presence of the jury)
TASSOS CHRISTOPHU PANAYIDES: Sworn
Examined by Mr. Temple
Q. High Commissioner, what are your full names? A. Tassos
Christophu Panayides.
Q. Is your High Commission still located at Park Street, West
End? A. Yes.
Q. For how long have you held the position of High Commissioner
for Cyprus? A. Ten and a half years.
Q. I want to ask you about some background information which you
were given during the course of 4th April 1987. Was the
position that a representative of the government in Cyprus
informed you that a blackmail threat was being instigated
against the Cypriot Government and you were also informed
that you should expect a telephone call and the delivery of
an envelope? A. That is correct.
Q. As you confirmed, these matters were on 4th April. On
Tuesday, 7th April, were you at the High Commission?
A. Yes.
Q. During the course of the morning, did you receive a telephone
call? A. Yes.
Q. Did that call come to you directly or through your secretary?
A. Through my secretary.
Q. At what telephone number did it come through? A. On 499
2810.
Q. Was the call in turn put through to you? A. Yes.
Q. Did the caller identify himself? A. Yes.
Q. As being ---? A. Mr. Wilkins.
Q. Did he say where he worked or where he came from?
A. Worked for the Ministry of Defence.
Q. What did Mr. Wilkins have to tell you? A. Mr. Wilkins told
me that he was going to send a letter for the President of
Cyprus.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: He said he was going to ---? A. Yes.
MR. TEMPLE: Send a letter for the President? A. Yes.
Q. Did he mention any other documentation? A. He mentioned
also that a letter - which is going to send a copy of a
letter which is being delivered beforehand to the President.
Q. Did he mention the routing of that letter at all? A. The
letter was coming via Cairo.
Q How did you react? A. I said that I will be expecting the
letter and I will forward it to the President of Cyprus.
Q. Did you remain on the High Commission premises? A. That is
right.
Q. At about 20 to 3 that afternoon, were you informed that the
envelope had been delivered to the High Commission? A. Yes.
Q. Shortly afterwards did you see the envelope addressed to
yourself? A. Yes.
Q. I would like you to have in front of you the originals of
our Exhibits 1 to 4, documents pages 1 to 18 inclusive.
(Handed to the witness) A. I recognised the envelope being
the one that has been delivered to the High Commission.
Q. Just a little matter of detail. The outside envelope
addressed to "Mr. T. Panaidies", is that spelt correctly or
not? A. It is not spelt correctly.
Q. What in fact should be the correct spelling?
A. P.A.N.A.Y.I.D.E.S.
Q. Did you yourself open the envelope? A. No.
Q. Who was it who opened it? A. It was opened by a policeman.
Q. Was that a reference to Mr. Hancock? A. Yes.
Q. Was Mr. Hancock a Metropolitan Police officer? A. Yes.
Q. Who was on the premises? A. Yes.
Q. Did you also have an opportunity, High Commissioner, to look
at the other material and documentation inside the package?
A. A very quick look.
Q. Had you seen such documentation before? A. No.
Q. This is the first time that you had really seen documentation
to this effect, the actual blackmail documents? A. That
is right.
Q. Were you anticipating a further 'phone call? A. Yes.
Q. Did one come later that afternoon? A. It came and question
was if I have received the envelope. I have said that I
have received it. I was asked when I am going to forward it
and I said "Immediately".
Q. Did you say where you were going to forward it or did that
appear to be known? A. Not immediately but then on second
question I replied that next day would have been in the hands
of the President.
Q. Just to make it clear, did the caller on this afternoon
telephone message, also give his name? A. As Wilkins.
Q. The same man who had 'phoned before? A. Yes, that is
right.
Q. I want to move on to Wednesday, 13th May. Just to set the
scene, were you informed by Mr. Yannou [sic], the Chief of Police
in Cyprus, that on the following day, the 14th, you were to
receive a visitor by the name of Symeon Cambanellos?
A. Yes.
Q. Did the Chief of Police give you instructions on what you
should do? A. To issue a passport and give £25,000.
Q. On the following day, the 14th, once again were you and
Mr. Hancock, the Metropolitan Police officer, on the High
Commission premises? A. Yes.
Q. Had you also on this day been given by Detective Constable
Downe a brown envelope? A. Yes.
Q. As far as you understood, what was in the envelope? A. An
amount of money.
Q. In cash? A. In cash.
Q. Still on that Thursday, at about ten o'clock was there a
'phone call? A. Yes.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: You believed at that stage it to be the
full amount of money? A. Yes, from the - it was in ten
pound notes.
Q. What I mean is you did not know they were false bundles?
A. No, definitely it was the amount of money.
MR. TEMPLE: At ten o'clock that morning did you receive another
'phone call? A. Yes.
Q. This time from whom? A. Mr. Cambanellos.
Q. What did he want of you? A. He wanted to find out if I had
any instructions from my government and I said I have
instructions.
Q. How did you deal with it? A. I said that I was ready to
issue a passport and give an amount of money.
Q. Was this conversation in English or Greek? A. In Greek.
Q About an hour later, this would be eleven o'clock, was there
yet a further 'phone call? A. Yes.
Q. From? A. From the same person.
Q. That is Cambanellos? A. Yes.
Q. What did he want on this occasion? A. He wanted to know
what he need to have passport and I mention he needs
photograph.
Q. What information did you give him? What did you tell him
with regards to the matters he should undertake before you
could give him his passport? A. Well, he asked me if on
the photograph he should be wearing a hat and I have said,
"No, because if you wear a hat you better take it off before
you take the photograph". Then he ask me if he could wear
glasses. I said, "If it is glasses for short sighting is
quite all right, but if they are dark glasses is better you
take it off the moment you take photographs".
Q. Did he say anything about where he proposed having his
photograph taken? A. Well, I cannot say that. What I
suggest that on his way he should have passed from Victoria
to have photograph there because from previous experience I
knew the machine, photographic machine, exists there.
Q. In effect it came to this: you suggested he might care to
stop off at Victoria to have his photograph taken? A. Yes.
Q. Just a matter of detail: was that particular telephone
conversation taped? A. Yes, by the same policeman.
Q. By Mr. Hancock? A. Yes.
Q. Just to follow through the chronology, were you told by your
receptionist when Mr. Cambanellos was downstairs? A. Yes.
Q. How did matters develop? A. I asked to bring the man my
office.
Q. Before the man came into your office, did you again switch on
your personal tape recorder? A. Yes.
Q. Tell us what happened when the man reached your office door;
did you let him in? A. Well, I let him in and it was a
little bit of a peculiar experience: he was wearing a hat,
dark glasses, raincoat and one glove on his left hand.
Q. With your experience were you able to judge his nationality?
A. Yes.
Q. What did you assess him to be? A. Greek Cypriot.
Q. Was there anybody else in your office apart from you?
A. No, I was just by myself.
Q. What was the effect of any conversation between the two of
you? A. Well, I asked him to have seat and from beginning
then he explained to me that he had some difficulties with
the hotel and that he was spending the night at the Inter
Continental. At the very beginning they didn't allocate a
room to him but later on he mentioned the name of the High
Commission and they allocated a room to him.
Q. Obviously on the previous telephone calls he had introduced
himself as Cambanellos. Did he tell you what his name was
during the course of the conversation with you in the room?
A. Yes, that came across at the time we were discussing the
issuing of passport. He said he wanted to be Symeon
Cambanellos and he wanted "Cambanellos" to be spelt with
a "C".
Q. Was that a strange request in your eyes? A. Not really
strange.
Q. Did you ask him further questions about his date of birth and
such like for the passport? A. Yes, for the passport.
Q. What was his reaction to that? A. Well, at the beginning
he said one date, then he said another date to be more easy
to be memorised and from beginning he said his village but
then he said, "Put in Nicosia, from Nicosia", because maybe
somebody seeing his village will realise that is false
passport and identification.
Q. Just so that we have the picture, obviously a requirement of
his passport was to say where his birthplace is? A. All
passports, yes.
Q. Was the subject of money raised and if so, by whom? A. He
asked me if I have money. I said, "Yes, I have it", and I
have shown the envelope.
Q. When you gave the envelope to him was it still sealed? When
you first handed the envelope to him was it sealed?
A. Yes.
Q. What did he do with the envelope? A. Well, he ask me if he
could have the sum of money. I said, "It is all yours".
Then he opened the envelope and he took one bundle of 20;
half a dozen put in one pocket and another bundle of money in
his other pocket.
Q. Was there any further conversation on any other subject
between the two of you? A. Well, as I remember, you see,
it was because the banknotes were in ten pound notes, it was
very much showing and he was being wary and what I told him,
"Somebody will think you have put in your pockets your
scarf".
Q. How did he react to that? A. Well, no comment, then we had
a little bit further conversation about the passport and I
have said that it was not possible to issue immediately
because I have to open safe to take out new passport and it
would take me two, three hours to fill it up.
Q. How was the position of the passport left? A. I beg your
pardon?
Q. He has come for his passport? A. Yes.
Q. You say to him, "Not ready yet, it will take two or three
hours"? A. Yes.
Q. Was anything agreed between you? A. It was agreed he will
go and do some shopping and he will come back in two or three
hours to collect the passports. That was his first reaction,
but later on he ask me at what time the High Commission
closes. I have said, "It is quarter to five and you can
come any time you like before that time".
Q. Was anything discussed between the two of you on any other
subject, other than these matters you have covered?
A. Well, you realise that it is two years since the
conversation took place, I don't remember really.
Q. Can I put it to you in this way: do you remember making a
statement about these matters on 21st May? A. Absolutely.
Q. Have you had an opportunity to refresh your memory from that
statement? A. No.
Q. I am going to ask you this question so if we can deal with it
in this way: High Commissioner, I am very well aware of the
difficulties. We have disucssed [sic] the passports and money?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you know why Cambanellos was meant to be there?
A. Well, if you are asking me for my personal judgement for
him?
Q. What were you told about Cambanellos? What were you told
by others about him? A. Well, Wilkins, Cambanellos, Nemo,
one and the same person.
Q. Did you know or had you been told what Cambanellos was meant
to be doing, what his role was? A. He was supposed to take
the passport and the money and go to Cyprus.
Q. Was that aspect of the matter of going to Cyprus discussed
between you at all? A. No.
Q. Not at all? A. No.
Q. Was it mentioned at all? A. No.
CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR. BECKMAN
Q. High Commissioner, can I ask you one or two odd matters that
stand on their own before I go into the general pattern of
what I want to ask you? First of all, you have been High
Commissioner for ten and a half years, so I take it it
follows from that, does it not, that the appointment of High
Commissioner is not like some political appointment?
A. No, I am a career diplomat.
Q. The next matter I want to ask you about is this: if you can
cast your mind back to when you gave evidence a short while
ago, you referred to the first telephone call with
Mr. Wilkins, or the man who said he was Mr. Wilkins?
A. Yes.
Q. In that first telephone call - and you used the word "copy" -
you said you would receive a copy of something? A. Yes.
Q. Can you tell us a little more about tht [sic]? You were going to
receive a copy of what? A. Of a letter, a threatening
letter which was supposed to be delivered or was delivered to
the President of Cyprus, and Wilkins, with conversations he
had with different people or one people, I do not know how
many, he promised to have - he is in a position to furnish
the President of Cyprus with a copy of that letter because he
is somebody within the organisation of Captain Nemo.
Q. So you knew, as indeed is obvious, that the demand had been
made in Cyprus? A. Yes.
Q. You knew that it had arrived at the Presidential Palace?
A. The attitude of the Government of Cyprus was that nothing
arrived.
Q. I am aware - what I want to do now is divide fact from
fiction: fact being what we know to be true, fiction being
what may have been said. Do you follow? I will be very
careful. I intend to develop that further with you in due
course. The fact of the matter is that the, let us call it
blackmailing demand, had been delivered to the Presidential
Palace in Cyprus? A. I will come to that conclusion
although I do not have confirmation from the Government of
Cyprus.
Q. What was given to you, as you were told on the telephone call
with Wilkins, was a copy of that demand? A. Yes.
Q. He told you that he was sending that copy as a result of
discussions with other persons? A. No.
Q. It clearly was, and was intended to be, a copy? A. Yes.
Q. I take you immediately to the other point which you were
saying before, the pretence, and I do not suggest there is
anything in the circumstances bad about it, but the pretence
that was emanating from the Cyprus side of matters was to
pretend that that document had never arrived at the
Presidential Palace? A. We can come to that conclusion.
Q. As a result of that, whatever his name is - all various
names - as a result of that pretence - then supplied the High
Commission, or could well have in this way, with a copy?
A. Yes, and a covering letter of course.
Q. The purpose of it was, as far as you can tell in the context,
to ensure that the President knew what was contained in the
original demand? A. Yes.
Q. That situation was achieved really, in general, by the
pretence that the original demand had never arrived?
A. No.
Q. Now something else again, changing the subject. You describe
the experience as a peculiar experience, and if I may say so,
half a smile appeared to appear on your face - if it did not
forgive me for saying so - and one had a very peculiar
experience to describe the entry of this man wearing dark
glasses and a glove on one hand. Would you tell us how this
character, with his hat, his dark glasses and his one glove
in what way was a peculiar experience? A. Well, I am in
my own sitting room or lounge room, if somebody enters with
one glove, or especially in the office of the High
Commissioner, immediately you create a few impressions that
you have somebody peculiar in front of you.
Q. Does it cause you to smile inwardly to yourself? A. No, I
did not smile at all because ---
Q. I meant an inward smile to yourself. Do carry on, I
interrupted you. A. No, it is quite all right. Actually,
later on the conversation was very normal, very friendly and
had run absolutely smoothly, and when we are separating we
expect that we will see each other again.
Q. Which you did, but in different circumstances. A. Well, I
am sorry things developed like this.
Q. Can you help me further about this? You told us that you
knew that Mr. Wilkins, Mr. Cambanellos, Commander Nemo were
all one and the same person. When did you know that?
A. After the first delivery of the letter and later on I
associated him the day when he came to collect the money and
the pasport [sic] and, of course, by reading the covering letter
accompanying the copy of the original threat. Well, as a
person would say of average intelligence, I associate that
there must be no difference between the two persons.
Q. So it was obvious that all of these persons making these
'phone calls were all one and the same person, and it did not
require much intelligence work? A. And if I am mistaken, I
am sorry for that.
Q. No, you are not mistaken, you are accurate. A. Not always;
it is not for me to judge.
Q. Mr. Panayides, now if I can take something further, I am
going into the mainstream of what I was going to ask you.
A. I am here to help.
Q. If you can bear with me jumping around occasionally.
A. Anything you want.
Q. My learned friend asked you this and referred in fact to your
statement - you had told this man, who is the same man,
Mr. Koupparis there (indicating the defendant)? A. Yes.
Q. You had told him that you knew all about the matter; you knew
something about the matter? A. Yes, a little bit.
Q. Can you enlighten us now; can you recall - now I want to ask
if he - again in the context - what it was you did know about
the matter before you saw him on the money-taking occasion?
A. That they wanted to take Cambanellos or Nemo to Cyprus.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I am sorry, you knew that - can you say
that again? A. I knew that they wanted in a way to bring
in Cambannelos and associate him with Nemo.
MR. BECKMAN: Who is "they"? A. The police; those who were
investigating the matter.
Q. They wanted to bring in Cambannelos and associate him with
Nemo. Presumably you were aware that what they wanted to do
was to tie that man in with the blackmail in Cyprus?
A. Yes.
Q. That, as far as you were concerned, was the purpose of what
you were doing? A. Yes.
Q. Part of that purpose included, if I may call it that way, a
white lie about the document not arriving in Cyprus? That
was part of what was happening? A. They wanted to find out
who he was, you see. And you must realise at that time we
are all exhausted and you must realise that at that time we
wanted this case, the suffering, to be over because for weeks
and weeks my family did not sleep, surrounded by police,
expecting and being afraid of our children coming in and out,
you see, and we are all trying to help so that this is over,
because it was like an nightmare.
Q. Mr. Panayides, I appreciate the feelings you may have, but if
you could just stick to my questions and answers --- A. I
will do my best, but from time to time you have to be a
little bit human, you see, and for quite a number of weeks we
have been getting inhuman treatment, being under threat.
Q. In other words, I suppose --- A. I am very sorry for that.
Q. Even for a diplomat, sometimes one is a little emotional. At
any rate, part and parcel of what we were talking about
before was the lie - I do not mean that in any nasty sense -
the lie about the document not being received at the Palace.
That is part and parcel of what was going on? A. As I have
said before, yes.
Q. Can you tell us this: what happened to this demand document
in Cyprus? A. The document I received?
Q. No. You were given a copy through the man who came to the
office? A. Yes.
Q. Do you know what happened to the originals in Cyprus? Had
they still remained there? A. I do not know that.
Q. Do you know anything at all about this document being sent to
the same experts at a place called Portland Down to be
examined? A. I have no idea whatsoever.
Q. You have told us a moment ago about your fear and your
concern. Can you just put a date on it? We know that the
demand was received on 23rd March. You first heard about the
matter, when, about 6th April? A. That is right, the 4th,
6th, somewhere about that.
Q. You told us about your fear and so on. Did not anybody tell
you what was the result of the enquiries at Portland Down?
A. On the first instance I did not even know there has been
an enquiry. How are they going to tell me about the result?
Q. You are absolutely right. Your fear you were talking about,
did you express that to any police officer or anyone who gave
you a reply and told you not to worry? A. No.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: What was the date of the Porton Down ---
MR. BECKMAN: April 1st, my Lord. I stand corrected, my Lord,
and it is my - perhaps we can find out. (Pause) My Lord,
the document was received, as I said, at Portland Down on
1st April. (To the witness): Did anyone else tell you -
Mr. Wilkins told you the documents would be coming to the
High Commission. Did anyone else tell you they were coming?
A. Well, from Cyprus.
Q. No, the document, that copy delivered directly. You have a
conversation with Mr. Wilkins; he said the documents are
coming? A. Yes.
Q. Did anybody else tell you the documents are coming, apart
from him? A. No.
Q. When you were in your office, did you have a gun there?
A. A gun?
Q. Yes. A. It is strictly prohibited.
Q. You were not given one for the occasion? A. No.
Q. Was there anyone in the immediate vicinity, such as a police
officer immediately nearby? A. Well, it is my office, then
there is a corridor - say ten to twelve yards - and then
there is another office and in that office there was a
policeman.
Q. I understand from your statement that to open your door you
press a button which releases the catch, someone comes in,
the door is then closed? A. Yes.
Q. So there was not a question of it being necessary for you to
have a gun while the man was alone in your room? A. Well,
if you allow me not to reply in a straightforward way, I do
not - I am not a man who gets afraid easily and after this
occasion a number of fellow parliamentarians said, "Why did
you receive this man by yourself?" but one thing I never had
in my life is fear to be afraid.
Q. I am sure we are very pleased to hear it. I take it no-one
said to you, "Look, we have these unbelievably dangerous
terrorists and you must have a gun"? A. No, and even if
they have asked, the reply would have been "No". At the time
when I have been asked by the Diplomatic Protection Group for
protection for other reasons, I refused.
Q. When you saw him come in with his hat and one glove ---
A. Yes, to the left hand.
Q. --- and dark glasses, he did not worry you very much?
A. No, I do not get afraid, as I said.
Q. As a matter of interest, when the first telephone call came
through - I think it was your secretary speaking and you
probably heard the tape - she in fact told you that a
Mr. Koupparis was here, did she not? You can have a look at
the tape if you like, but in fact the first name that was
given was Koupparis. A. On which occasion had he visited
me?
Q. The first time there was a telephone call, 7th April.
A. Mr. Koupparis?
Q. Yes, the name Koupparis. A. No, definitely not.
MR. BECKMAN: On 14th May, you know everything was taken down on
tape?
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Just hang on a bit; what about
7th April?
MR. BECKMAN: My Lord, it is not 7th April; it is my mistake.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: There is no suggestion Koupparis was
mentioned on 7th April?
MR. BECKMAN: No, my Lord, I said I made a mistake on the date.
(To the witness): The date the name Koupparis was used was
14th May. Do you remember that now? A. No.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: You were asked about the 7th, but the
name Koupparis might have been mentioned on the 14th, the day
he arrived. A. I do not remember that. What I remember
very well, it is on 7th April, on two occasions when I spoke
it was Wilkins.
Q. You accept the name Koupparis may have been mentioned on the
14th? A. To the best I have remember - I can remember -
the answer is to the negative.
MR. BECKMAN: Does this help you: on the telephone call on the
14th - and I advisedly use precise words - the first thing
that is said is a woman's voice on the line, "Mr. Koupparis
is on the line". It is a man's voice on the line,
presumably yours, "Who do you say?" The woman's voice,
"Mr. Koupparis". The man's voice, "Right". Then there is a
lot of noise; then Mr. Koupparis comes on the 'phone. Do you
recall that? A. No.
MR. BECKMAN: This could be dealt with by way of an admission by
the prosecution later. (To the witness): Later on,
something you have forgotten ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: It is not said you said the name
Koupparis, but your secretary did; you cannot remember?
A. No.
MR. BECKMAN: Yes, my Lord, it may be that and, of course, it is
a name that would have come from ---
THE WITNESS: What I remember is that on that occasion
continuously it was used, the name Cambanellos, and even when
he arrived at the entrance, the receptionist said,
"Mr. Cambanellos is here".
MR. BECKMAN: You have no direct recollection yourself of the
use of the name Koupparis on that occasion? A. Yes.
Q. I am content to leave it at that. When you first received
the envelope which was addressed to you and then inside it an
envelope addressed to the President, it follows from what you
told us that you had no intention of passing the envelope
on to the President? A. No.
Q. Because what you were going to do with it, in these rather
special circumstances, was to hand it over to the police
officer? A. Yes.
Q. I think you have mentioned that in other situations you would
normally have discretion, if you received a letter - an
ordinary letter addressed to the President - you would
normally have discretion whether you open it yourself or
whether you pass it on? A. Yes.
Q. Would it be right to say this - and I think you have
mentioned this before - that normally you would pass it on?
A. On a number of occasions.
Q. But the special circumstances in this case - it was special
circumstances - and in those special circumstances you handed
it over to the police officer? A. Because it was rather a
police case than a diplomatic case.
Q. Indeed, it would be right to say this: again it fulfilled
the whole purpose of the operation to get the man there,
identify him and arrest him, the man who had made the demand
in Cyprus? A. Yes.
Q. At this stage the then President of Cyprus was Mr. Kyprianou?
A. Yes.
Q. There were elections pending in 1988? A. Yes.
Q. In fact the government has changed; there is now a different
government? A. Yes.
Q. This document was, I think we have agreed, a demand of the
Government of Cyprus and received in Cyprus? A. Yes.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: What was your second phrase?
MR. BECKMAN: "And received in Cyprus". (To the witness): And
received in Cyprus through the President; in other words, as
a representative of the Cypriot people? A. That is right.
Q. It was also a threat against the people of Cyprus? A. Yes.
Q. Do you know, from your own knowledge, why it was that there
was not an application to extradite him to Cyprus to be tried
there? A. I do not know.
Q. That decision would be made by the President of Cyprus?
A. I am not familiar how it operates when you want to
extradite somebody. I know the Legal Department must be
involved, but I do not know if it is a request made by the
President or a request by the Legal Department. I am very
sorry, I do not know that.
Q. It would be a request which had been made, if it be made,
formally by the police or your equivalent of the Home Office
or whatever; it would still be a request that would be made
as a result of a political decision? A. Not necessarily.
Q. Was this case in any way an embarrassment, and if you feel as
a diplomat you would rather not answer - was this case in any
way an embarrassment for the then government?
A. Embarrassment in which way?
Q. At all? A. Well, it was - a threat was there, then came in
the press and everybody was expecting to see what will be the
outcome but ---
Q. At any rate, you have no idea why no attempt at extradition
was made to try this crime against the Cypriot people?
A. As this case, as quite a number of other cases of people
involved in drug smuggling, the President or whatever it will
be - I do not know the reasons why they do not ask to
extradite them and I never ask, of course.
MR. BECKMAN: That may be, if I may say so, very diplomatic. I
am sure you will be there another ten years.
RE-EXAMINED BY MR. TEMPLE
Q. In your capacity as High Commissioner, do you act on behalf
of the Government of Cyprus? A. Yes.
Q. Would you look, please, at the purported telex which is the
Digsby telex, page 3. It was sent in the demand document.
(Handed to the witness) Whatever may be the position about
the information you gave, or the government gave, to this
defendant with regard to the non-receipt of any original
blackmail demand, my question to you is this: did you ever
suggest to the defendant that he should send such a document
as we find at our page 3, the telex? A. Myself?
Q. Yes. A. No (laughing).
Q. To your knowledge, did anybody else in the government suggest
that he should send such a document? A. No.
MR. TEMPLE: I understand my learned friend may ask your Lordship
for leave to ask further questions.
MR. BECKMAN: There is just one question I forgot to ask. May
I ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Yes, of course.
FURTHER CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR. BECKMAN
Q. You have the document in front of you. Could you just look
at the document referred to, a telex. A. Yes.
Q. Again, I am going to call upon you as a person of reasonable
intelligence. If you look at that telex yourself - you have
a telex machine at the Embassy - High Commission? A. We
are a small country, but we appear to have one.
Q. You probably have a fax machine and some very good wine as
well. If I can go back to the telex, telexes go through
these rather nice machines one has and the actual message is
received by the machine typing out what is said from the
other place? A. Yes.
Q. Have you ever seen a logo on a telex before? A. If I have
seen one?
Q. Yes, there is a logo on that. You follow, a logo? A. No,
I am very sorry, I missed something there.
Q. The thing, that item on the top there (indicating). You
have them in all sorts of places. Sometimes some of the big
companies have their own logo; cars have logos on the front.
If I may say about the British High Commission, or the
Department of Trade and Industry, they also have their own
logos. You follow? A. Yes.
Q. Have you ever seen a logo - a telex printed out with the logo
of the other person at the other end? A. Of course, these
could be done in quite different ways. I am not an expert
on that.
Q. You would rather not - because what I am suggesting, anyone
who had one second's experience --- A. But that telex
which was in front of me, it did not come through the telex
machine. It was a copy from somewhere and quite a number of
occasions, if you want to show the genuineness of something,
making it more formal, a copy could be done on another
copier.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: It is obviously not a telex? A. No,
this is not a telex, it did not come to my machine, you see,
and the other thing which all these small technicalities of
course may not attribute to his average intelligence, and we
take as a compliment, because it could have been worse, but
you must realise and you must appreciate the situation - when
the special messenger arrived, the envelope was open and
obviously at that time we were not interested to see if there
are emblems or signature of that one sending it is a good
one - it is very educated person or non-educated. What we
were interested in was the contents and we concentrated on
the contents. All these trivialities, all these small
things, observations, they come from you because you have had
all the opportunity for so many months to read this case.
MR. BECKMAN: Mr. Panayides, as you said (inaudible) I personally
have not been in it that long, but we have not raised any of
these small points at all. What may have happened on another
occasion is nothing to do with our conduct in the case at
this stage.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Thank you for coming, Mr. Panyides. I
am sorry this is your second visit, but I believe this will
be your last visit.
(The witness withdrew)
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: That is as far as we can go today.
(The jury left the court)
MR. TEMPLE: As presently advised, Mr. Mavrellis and
Mr. Demetriades will be available to give evidence tomorrow
morning. One of the difficulties in the past has been the
well nigh impossible task from anybody's point of view of
being able to predict the length of time they will spend in
the witness box. To give your Lordship an indication, at
the last trial Mr. Demetriades was here for four days, if not
more. This is one of the difficulties where in the end this
case has now, as it were, progressed at such speed in a way
it has embarrassed the Crown.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: What is the page number?
MR. TEMPLE: Page 450. Superintendent Demetriades comes into
the picture at a comparatively late stage and he, of course,
poses under the name of Frixos Nicolaides, as an ex-Health
Minister. I do not wish to trespass upon the nature of
Mr. Beckman's case, but it seems to me I think much of the
material he seeks has probably been obtained and is available
to him by reason of his cross-examination today. It is for
these reasons I suspect we will be able to move again with
considerable speed.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I should think it quite horrifying that
a witness need be here for four days. Mr. Beckman probably
agrees; he conducted the case with admirable expedition.
MR. TEMPLE: My Lord, I can only say that if your Lordship would
have faith, as I am sure your Lordship does, on us to manage
affairs in the best way we can, your Lordship will not be
disappointed.
MR. BECKMAN: I think your Lordship may be in for an even more
pleasant surprise.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I do not think it is for
Mr. Demetriades.
(The trial was adjourned until the following day)
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