Frank and Joan's news for 21 February 2009 in Northern Cyprus

Frank and Joan's Adventures in Northern Cyprus

Our adventures in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue....

Remember a couple of weeks ago, I put up an e-mail about a Lord Harvey Coles, who had defrauded $3million of peoples savings in an American green card scam. Well according to today's newspaper he has been on the island, staying in Bellapais but checked out after New Year. So still they seek him.

The Gary Robb saga rolls on. The paper says that the PM refused to extradite him because he believed that he would resolve the Amaranta Valley problem and finish the project, but when he was told that Mr Robb was trying to siphon money out to Thailand he agreed to the extradition. The Prime Minister says that the British Authorities had repeatedly asked for his extradition but he had ignored the requests. This from a country that says "We do not harbour criminals". At the same time, Gary Robb himself, through an intermediary, has posted on the Amaranta Valley blog, that all this is untrue and he was kidnapped and held in custody

for two days then forced on to a plane to UK and that he is now planning to sue the TRNC government. The whole thing is just becoming a joke, except for the buyers, and is one pack of lies after another.

Remember also the test that was being conducted on post from UK, as many of us just don't seem to receive what is sent. Well the results are in of the BRS investigation. 82 letters were sent from 16 locations across England, Scotland and Wales, between January 6th and 26th this year. Only 17 arrived, so now there is a formal request for an investigation, first in UK then afterward here in TRNC. Both sides are of course denying any problems.

Well it happened. Public workers went on a one day strike this last week over pay structure. Interesting action in a bankrupt country were some public sector workers are not getting paid at all because of lack of funds.

Senior UN and European Union figures have talked up chances of success in the current peace negotiations. But the Greek Cypriot House President has said there could be a "great historical and political mistake" in accepting any solution.
He said Greek Cypriots should resist any moves to push through a solution just because the world wants it. He said any peace deal should be only for the benefit of the Greek Cypriots.
Now that sounds to me like somebody really wants this to happen, but only if it suits them.
There was another report in the press this week, where the Greek Cypriots want no interference from the Turkish, the British or Greece and want all armies off the island as part of their compromise. This from a country that has just strengthened its army by buying Russian tanks and helicopters !!!!!!!

Ah well it's raining again so it looks like batten down the hatches, cook something nice and watch the telly, type of evening.