Ref: A00-300995 Case No. 871626 Macpherson II
Volume V, Pages 6-19, Thursday 15th June, 1989
(In the presence of the jury)
PATROCLOS STAVROU:
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Mr. Stavrou, do you speak English?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. Would you be able to give evidence in English? A. Yes,
suppose so but in case of need could I have an interpreter
here please?
Q. The interpreter has been sworn and is beside you. If there
is any trouble and you do not understand, will you indicate
and she will translate the question to you formally.
A. Yes, thank you.
(The witness was sworn)
Examined by Mr. Temple
Q. What are your full names please? A. Patroclos Stavrou.
Q. What is your present position? A. Under-secretary to the
President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Q. Are you still based at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia?
A. Yes.
Q. Going back to March 1987, did you then hold the same position
as you hold now? A. Yes.
Q. On 23rd March 1987, was a large envelope received at the
Presidential Palace? A. Yes.
Q. Addressed to whom? A. To the President of the Republic of
Cyprus, Mr. Kyprianou, President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Q. Who was it who opened the envelope? A. I did open the
envelope.
Q. Taking matters very shortly, was the gist of the communi-
cation a demand on the Government of Cyprus for some
US $15 million? A. Yes.
Q. In just a sentence, Mr. Stavrou, if that money was not
forthcoming what was going to happen? A. There were some
machines established in the island and around and which would
cause contamination of the atmosphere of Cyprus, not for the
present but for the future as well, and people and animals
would die and plants would be destroyed, etcetera.
Q. I need not trouble you any further about the detail. Having
read that letter, what view did you take of that communi-
cation? A. I considered it as a serious threat for Cyprus.
Q. What did you do? Who did you first see? A. I went to the
President of the Republic who was in a meeting. I ask him
to come out of his office and I show to him the letter and
tell him briefly what that letter contained.
Q. Having told the President the gist of the communication, the
thrust of it, did the President in turn give you further
instructions? A. He told me to communicate - or rather to
go and see personally the Minister of the Interior, give him
the letter and ask him to examine it and go ahead.
Q. Did you do that? A. Yes, I did it immediately.
Q. When you saw the Minister of the Interior, was the Chief of
Police also present? A. He happened to be there, yes.
Q. Because the Chief of Police happened to be present, did you
also brief him? A. Yes, I briefed him and then the two of
them ---
Q. The matters you told us about, did they all take place on
23rd March, the day of the receipt? A. Yes, in the
afternoon of that day.
Q. Having undertaken the duties which you have explained to the
Court and jury, did that bring your direct involvement to an
end? A. Excuse me?
Q. Did you have any further direct dealings with this matter?
A. No, I refer it to the police - to the Minister of the
Interior who refer it to the police; the commander of the
police was there and the matter was taken by the police.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: When you say you are the Under-
secretary, Mr. Stavrou, is that a political appointment?
A. No, it is not political.
CROSS-EXAMINED BY MR. BECKMAN
Q. My Lord has asked the first question I was going to ask; I
will go to the second. There is now a new President?
A. There is now a new President, yes, as from last October.
Q. You describe this as - on the face of it quite right - as a
serious threat for Cyprus. A. Yes.
Q. Obviously a serious blackmail attempt must be handled
seriously; you agree? A. Yes.
Q. You went like that (indicating) gave me a wry glance with
your mouth. Just in case you meant anything else, I take it
you agree if it is a serious blackmail demand it must be
taken seriously? A. Yes, basically.
Q. It is clearly the people of Cyprus who were concerned; is
that right? A. I cannot hear you well, I am sorry.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: It was not very clear.
MR. BECKMAN: I do apologise. (To the witness): It is the
people of Cyprus who were concerned? A. The people of
Cyprus, even animals of Cyprus and plants of Cyprus; the
whole of Cyprus was concerned.
Q. It was the people of Cyprus who were concerned and no-one
else? A. It concerned the people of Cyprus. It concerned
the people of Cyprus but I am not sure about "and no-one
else".
Q. The original demand, is there anyone else who was concerned
with that demand apart from the people of Cyprus? A. We
had a discussion about what the act could mean for other
people and if it were conceded as blackmailing etcetera.
When there is blackmail against a whole country and that
country is part of the earth, then the repercussions might be
wider. If someone blackmails a country, he may blackmail
another country at another time.
Q. What you are saying is if there is something serious happens
to any country in the world, then there could be inter-
national repercussions? A. I am not ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Mr. Beckman, I think I see what you
mean. In the document the people threatened were the people
of Cyprus.
MR. BECKMAN: And no-one else.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Your question about concerning no-one
else, it would concern me, it would concern you if we knew
about it. You do not mean no-one else would be concerned,
do you? I do not understand the thrust of the question.
MR. BECKMAN: I hope I did not say it was only of concern to the
people of Cyprus. I said, "It only concerned the people of
Cyprus.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: The document itself was a threat to
those in Cyprus? A. Yes, the document was a threat to
those in Cyprus and I can say we receive over a year more
than one million visitors, so if that threat materialised
then the victims might be people from many, many countries
and almost all continents.
MR. BECKMAN: The original demand is received at the Palace?
A. Yes.
Q. It is delivered by the postman? A. Yes.
Q. As far as you are concerned certainly, it would seem
delivered in Cyprus? A. Yes, delivered in Cyprus.
Q. And posted in Cyprus? A. Yes, posted in Cyprus.
Q. Later on you know that the man who made that demand is
arrested in London. A. Yes, I was informed of that.
Q. May I take it that there was close co-operation between the
Cypriot and English authorities? A. There was.
Q. Do you know anything at all about that close co-operation?
A. I have heard various things but I was not directly
involved in this co-operation so I would not like to say what
I heard, and it was not directly in my jurisdiction to act.
Q. Can you tell us what was intended from that moment on?
A. From which moment?
Q. From the moment the President spoke to you or from the moment
you had that meeting thereafter with the Minister of the
Interior and Chief of Police. A. The intention was to
investigate and trace the case - investigate the case and
trace who was or were behind this letter.
Q. And if possible to identify that person or persons, arrest
them and try them in Cyprus? A. No. We did not make such
concrete plans; just to arrest him and bring him to Cyprus,
etcetera. We did not know where this letter originated. It
was posted in Cyprus, there was a stamp - I mean a seal, no
stamp was there in Cyprus. We did not know who were behind
and even if we could trace them.
Q. The purpose was to find the man? A. Yes, sure, man or men.
Q. And the purpose was then to arrest the man? A. That is the
work of the police.
Q. Then you would try him? A. That is the work of justice.
MR. BECKMAN: Are there any notes or files about this matter that
you have brought with you? My Lord, I have requested they
bring any documents they may have.
THE WITNESS: I am sorry?
MR. BECKMAN: Are there any notes or files about this matter?
A. Yes, sure we have.
Q. Have you brought them with you? A. Yes, I have.
Q. May we see them? A. You can see a photocopy of the letter
which was received.
Q. We know about that. Are there any notes or files that would
tell us exactly what was being done in this operation?
A. No. I do not know what was being done in the operation
after it was passed over to the police. I know what happened
in the Presidential ---
Q. Are you saying there was no file at all that would indicate
to us what was happening? A. There is a file at the
Presidential Palace having certain knowledge of it.
Q. Were you asked to bring it with you? A. No, I was not
asked to bring it with me.
MR. BECKMAN: My Lord, I did request that some time ago.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I am not sure it would be right that
they should have to disclose it. You have asked for it; it
is not here, so there we are.
MR. BECKMAN: My Lord ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: You have no documents with you,
Mr. Stavrou? A. I have some documents, yes.
Q. What documents? A. It is the letter received - a photocopy
of the letter and some communique with the Government of
Cyprus on that occasion as far as I can remember.
MR. BECKMAN: Normally if there are documents which are not
subject to state secrets they are always, as my learned
friend admitted today, given to the defence.
A. All the public documents - I mean, official communiques
published in the press.
Q. In other words, if there are files or anything like that, you
say you have not been asked for them and you also say you
left them behind? A. I left them behind. There must be
files with the police, with the Ministry of Interior,
etcetera. We did not deal with the case from the
investigation point of view at the Presidential Palace. To
have such documents except that we receive - I mean the
letter, another letter sent by Mr. Koupparis to the President
and official communiques.
Q. Official communiques would show us what was being done or
might? A. Official communiques refer to this case, how the
letter came, etcetera.
Q. And also the files were with the police, you say. I take it
with the close co-operation between the Cyprus police and the
English police, any file the English police would like to see
or ought to see would be shown to them? A. I would not
know how the police of England and Cyprus co-operate.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: I do not think that is a question for
him. The police, he said, have their own files and their
own investigation. These would not be disclosable, and
obviously they exchange information with the British police,
but I do not think that is a question for this witness.
MR. BECKMAN: May I say, with respect, my Lord, I entirely
appreciate anything prepared for the purpose of the trial
(inaudible) but anything done in the course of the operation
itself, like a police officer's notebook, would be
disclosable.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Have you more cross-examination?
MR. BECKMAN: Yes, I have. I only reply to that because your
Lordship made a comment and with respect, I ought to reply to
it.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Ask such questions as you wish.
MR. BECKMAN: I am obliged. (To the witness): At any rate, as
far as you were concerned - I can put it another way: there
would be no impediment put upon the Cyprus police to give all
assistance they could to the English police? A. I cannot
answer that question. Whether there would be any impediment
for the police of Cyprus vis-a-vis co-operation with the
English police, I do not know. There must be files, there
must be material, etcetera, but it is not up to me to say
what the British police have or even the Cyprus police, and
they have dealt with this case. I do not know what they have
done, where do they have their files of material they may
have or may not have.
Q. This serious threat that occurred in Cyprus, posted in
Cyprus, arrived in Cyprus, concerning only the people of
Cyprus and the tourists who might be there at the time, what
steps were taken to get him extradited and tried for that
offence in Cyprus? A. I do not know if there were any
steps taken.
Q. Is there any political reason why steps were not taken (if
they were not taken) to your knowledge? A. I do not know
if there is any political reason, but I do not think that it
is a political case. However ---
Q. If you would just answer my question, you do not think there
is any political reason why the man was not extradited to
Cyprus? A. I do not know if there were or no steps for
those so I cannot answer the question in the form it is put
to me.
Q. I am sorry, I missed that. Can you repeat it? A. Repeat
your question so as to get an exact answer.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: He said, "I do not know if there were
any steps taken". That is the gist of it. He said that
before.
MR. BECKMAN: At the time of this matter the President was
Mr. Kyprianou and there was an election pending, was there
not? A. There is always an election pending because the
President is elected by the people, but this letter was
received in March '78 and the elections were ---
Q. Eighty seven. A. Excuse me, '87, and the elections were
held in February '88. That is about eleven months later,
about.
Q. Who would make the decision not to extradite Mr. Koupparis?
A. I cannot answer the question. It is not with my
jurisdiction or with my authority.
Q. Tell me, the decision would be that of the President? A. I
cannot answer it because I answer your previous question; it
is not in my jurisdiction or my authority to answer the
question.
Q. Cannot or will not? A. I replied.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: What basis have you for that question?
He said, "I cannot". Are you doubting his bona fides?
MR. BECKMAN: My Lord, it may well be that there is some reason.
I do not have privy to any document as to what was decided.
Therefore, the possibilities arise and I have to investigate.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Mr. Beckman, I have asked a question:
are you questioning his bona fides by that question or not?
MR. BECKMAN: My Lord, of course that is so but he is - may I
finish please so the jury do not get the inference, the
impression - one can question bona fides because one has been
given information which shows me is not bona fide. There are
also situations where, for political or other reasons, a
witness may use - as it were be careful with the truth or
that sort of thing.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Yes. You have answered the question,
Mr. Beckman. Have you any further cross-examination?
MR. BECKMAN: Yes, I certainly do. I put it to this witness
with the request to my learned friend who is (inaudible).
(To the witness): Would you be kind enough to look at this
document (handed to the witness).
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Do you have copies of it?
MR. BECKMAN: Would your Lordship like to see it before I ask the
witness the question?
THE WITNESS: Yes, I have seen this document. (Handed to the
Court)
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: What do you want to ask about it?
MR. BECKMAN: I was going to let Mr. Temple see it.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: You can ask while he is looking at it.
MR. BECKMAN: I have to hand it back to the witness. (Handed to
the witness) (To the witness): Is that a copy of a formal
search warrant? A. It appears to be but I cannot verify it
and say, "Yes, it is". It looks like - I do not say it is
forged but I cannot say it is genuine.
Q. Issued on the face of it by the Cyprus police? A. No, it
is signed by a district judge so it couldn't be.
Q. Signed by a district judge in Cyprus giving the Cyprus police
permission to search Mr. Koupparis's premises; is that right?
A. I cannot answer this. You give me a piece ---
Q. On the face of it? A. No, I cannot say, "Yes". I couldn't
decide (inaudible).
Q. On the face of it, is it not correct that is issued by a
district judge giving the police permission to search
Mr. Koupparis's premises in Cyprus? A. It appears so.
Q. Is it correct that the date of the document is 14th May?
A. This date appears on this photocopy.
Q. Yes. Is it also correct that the only offence referred to
in that document is the offence of blackmail or demand made
in Nicosia? A. I can say this: what is it on the document
is on the document. One can read the document and get ---
Q. Is there any reason why you cannot answer my question?
A. Yes, there is a reason, because you try and lead me to
things, you propose to me, you suggest to me.
Q. All I am asking you to do is read what the document says on
the face of it and which is the truth - is there any reason
why you cannot answer that directly - namely, what is on the
face of that document, the only offence referred to is in
Nicosia? A. You say the only offence was in Nicosia. No
such thing appears on this document and I cannot give an
interpretation of the document.
Q. Read where the offence is said to have taken place, in the
middle. A. "At 618 (inaudible) with the following offence
which have been committed in March at Nicosia." This means
such things were found in Nicosia and offences were Nicosia,
yes.
Q. Exactly. A. Yes, but when something happens in Nicosia
or ---
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: Do you want the document to go before
the jury?
MR. BECKMAN: Yes, it will be copied.
MR. JUSTICE MACPHERSON: It is a search warrant from a judge to
search Mr. Koupparis's premises concerning an offence which
took place in Nicosia. You will see it in due course.
RE-EXAMINED BY MR. TEMPLE
Q. Just one matter, Mr. Stavrou: you remember you were telling
us about the tourist industry in Cyprus? A. Yes.
Q. Approximately how many tourists visit the island in any one
year? A. More than one million, 1,150,000.
Q. Of that quantity, have you any idea how many would come from
the United Kingdom? A. We have numbers but I do not
remember them. Oh, a large amount, probably the largest
amount of tourists come from the United Kingdom.
Q. Apart from tourists visiting the island, are there any
military establishments which have British personnel?
A. Yes, there are British bases which are considered to be
(inaudible). British bases and there are a lot of military
people in the island with their families. Speaking of
thousands of people probably.
(The witness withdrew)
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