The case police are investigating against land development businessman Savvas Kakos has a history stretching back in time and involving several episodes. So do his disputes with foreign investors, which led to complaints to police. This emerges not only from recent developments, but also from the matters under police investigation and the counter-arguments of lawyer Antonis Dimitriou, who represents the Greek Cypriot land development businessman.
An official document in Phileleftheros’s possession shows that the case’s history includes information about criminal acts.
According to the document, information put before police indicated that one of the investors involved in the case was in danger from a criminal act reportedly being planned by two Greek Cypriots. The two are connected to the real estate sector and are linked to the case.
This document served as a written warning to the investor, who was asked to sign it to confirm that police had informed him of the threat against him.
Under the heading “Information Note on Threats to Life,” it makes specific recommendations on how the investor could increase his personal security measures, because, it states, it is not possible for police to guard him around the clock.
In a separate case, information that came to the attention of Cyprus Police indicated that a foreign investor had directly threatened the bodily safety of a Greek Cypriot businessman. Phileleftheros has been informed that police had also processed information indicating that this businessman’s life was under threat.
Police are investigating fraud offences against Kakos in relation to property developments, and a four-day detention order was issued against him the previous day.
His lawyer, Antonis Dimitriou, did not object to the detention request. During the court hearing, however, he cross-examined the police investigator, suggesting that his client had reported illegalities committed against people who now appear as complainants against him.
Dimitriou also submitted a note to argue that Kakos had made complaints against foreign investors. He referred to a number of civil cases to suggest that the complaints to police relate to disputes between investors and businessmen in the real estate sector. He also referred to serious criminal offences he said some of the complainants had committed.
