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29th March 2024
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HomeNewsDrug dealing Briton jailed over property fraud

Drug dealing Briton jailed over property fraud

Gary Robb
Robb at AGA’s notorious Amaranta Valley project

INFAMOUS British property developer, Gary Robb yesterday received a 10-month jail sentence for “serious offences” in relation to the exploitation of Greek Cypriot property in the north.

Nicosia District Court ruled that Robb has to serve his jail sentence for the 11 charges of appropriating the land, in Nicosia Central Prison, where he was led after yesterday’s court proceedings concluded.

The sentences on all charges, which include development and sale of property belonging to the Republic of Cyprus and to Greek Cypriots without their consent, will run concurrently.

In passing sentence, the Court said it took into consideration the time Robb had spent in detention “according to article 26 of the EU Council framework decision 2002/584/JHA” as well as the mitigating circumstances relating to the case, such as his admission of guilt, apologies and family circumstances.

The Court described the offences committed as serious, though the sentence could have been greater, as the law provides for a two-year jail sentence and a hefty fine for such offences.

The start date for Robb’s sentence was set as August 3, 2011, when he was extradited to Cyprus by Britain, where he was serving a drugs-related sentence.

Robb was one of the managers of a Turkish Cypriot development company, called “AGA Development LTD” which aimed to build 335 luxury residences in the occupied village of Klepini, in the northern Kyrenia District.

Construction began in January 2005 and by the end of April around 85 per cent of the residencies had been sold for between £50,000 to £100,000 Cyprus Pounds. The project was never completed.

According to data from the Kyrenia District Lands Office, the affected surface area is 273,800 square metres, with 261,589 square metres belonging to Greek Cypriots, 7,550 square meters to Turkish Cypriots and the remaining 4,661 square meters being state property.

This is not the first time foreign nationals have been taken to court in relation to appropriation offences. Many foreigners, in particular British nationals, have bought property illegally in occupied Cyprus.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has, on many occasions, issued advice to British nationals to be aware of transactions involving the sale or purchase of land or immovable property in occupied Cyprus.

British police think that about 400 Britons collectively lost over €40 million (about 35 million British pounds) in deals with AGA Development.

Some of those were told during a 2005 property conference at Colonel Hotel in Kyrenia that they would be no legal problems with buying in the north.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Jon is right, when we see lawyers, developers, bankers, estate agents brought before the courts and an appropriate sentence with compensation to the victims then we will believe them. Not before.

  2. Robb should have got the maximum (two years) sentence, and even that would have been derisory for this major offence.

    However, the relative speed with which this case was dealt with is notable, compared to the many serious cases brought by British victims of Cypriot lawyers, developers and others which await resolution often after many years.

    Doubtless the government welcomes any distraction with a bit of potentially nationalistic flavour, that can be arranged at the present time, however. (bit like the current maritime zones stuff).

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