A Cypriot couple has filed a complaint with the police and is seeking the arrest of Mark Unwin, a British national and the Company Director of Unwin Estates Agents, a property developing company operating in the Turkish controlled areas of Cyprus and exploiting Greek Cypriot properties.
Christos and Despina Mazios, originally from Ayios Epiktitos and now Limassol, told reporters that three weeks ago their daughter visited their property in the north and saw that construction work had started on their land of some 8 donums by Unwin Estates Agents.
“We found the details of the owner (Mark Unwin) who together with his wife Hayran set up Unwin Estates Agents and are involved in property deals in the occupied areas,” said Christos Mazios.
Flanked by their lawyer, MP Christodoulos Taramountas, the couple filed a complaint with the Limassol police and asked for the arrest of the owner based on the recent amendment to article 281 of the Penal Code, which stipulates the issuing of European arrest warrants against all those who exploit Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied areas.
“We found all their details from their web site,” said Taramountas, adding that, “this is not a political case, but one which seeks to reverse illegal acts.”
Earlier, United Democrats MP Androulla Vassiliou who first initiated the amendment to the Penal Code that allows the arrest of EU nationals anywhere in the EU, said that the bill is not directed against Turkish Cypriots, but aims to stop the commercial exploitation of Greek Cypriot property in the occupied areas.
“We are happy to note that following the passage of the bill, the pace of investments into the illegal state involving Greek Cypriot property has decreased substantially as EU nationals realise the consequences of their actions,” said Vassiliou.
Taramountas said the police now need to issue the EU arrest warrant and also place the accused on the watch list for possible arrest, if he ever ventures into the government controlled areas.
A spokesperson from Unwin Estates Agents in occupied Kyrenia contacted by the Financial Mirror on the phone refused to comment on the matter.
“I have nothing to comment,” said Phil Shearstone, adding that they had not seen the complaint.
Unwin Estate Agents claims it has over 40 years’ property experience and has been founded in North Cyprus for over 5 years.
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, according to their web site (http://unwinestates.com).
Unwin Estate Agents claim that they do not carry out any development or construction for themselves, which means that the complaint filed by Mazios may eventually extend to the property development company that constructed the project.
