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Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Feb 16 2007
Cyprus-U.S. ties strained over Sevan extradition
16/02/2007
Cyprus-U.S. diplomatic ties have been strained after the Nicosia
government's refusal to cooperate in efforts to extradite former
United Nations oil-for-food programme director Benon Sevan, according
to local press reports.
Sevan, 69, a Cypriot of Armenian descent was indicted in New York
last month on charges of bribery and corruption in connection with
the OFFP, which yielded millions in kickbacks to the Saddam Hussein
regime.
However, in the absence of an extradition treaty, citizens from
either country cannot be extradited without the approval of the
Attorney General of that country.
Sevan is presently in Cyprus where he is also acting on behalf of the
New York-based AGBU organisation that is trying to sell off the $158
million estate of the Melkonian Armenian school in Nicosia that was
left to the charity corporation in trust by the founders in the
1920s.
Sevan is sharing the same lawyers who are defending the AGBU in a
California federal court case challenging the AGBU's rights over the
Melkonian estate.
`Diplomatic episode with the U.S.A.' declared the daily Alithia on
its front page, adding that while the U.S. government had been
promised by the former Cyprus Ambassador Evripides Evriviades every
assistance in the matter, the Foreign Ministry in Nicosia declared on
February 5 that nothing of this sort had been requested.
`US congressmen request Sevan's extradition' reported the Cyprus
Mail, which added that the two members of congress, Republican Tom
Lantos, who chairs the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs
Committee, and another Republican, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, in
a letter to Andreas Kakouris, the Cypriot ambassador in the US, said
Cyprus' membership in the European Union was seen as "heralding a new
era of international cooperation by your country."
"In this context, we trust that your government will undertake robust
efforts to investigate, locate and extradite Mr Sevan, so that he may
be fairly tried for his alleged violations of United States law and
international confidence," the letter said.
The US embassy in Nicosia said it was `not aware of any such request'
to the Cypriot authorities, the Cyprus Mail reported.
Another newspaper, Politis, reported that `the U.S. is exerting
pressure on Nicosia, demanding Benon Sevan's extradition.'
The Politis correspondent in New York added that `the tone of the
representatives' letter raises a lot of questions.'
The newspaper added that Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was very close relations
to the Hellenic American lobby and in the recent elections last
November was actively supported by the Greek Americans in an effort
to balance the great influence exerted by Tom Lantos, who is
supported by the influential lobby defending Turkish interests in
Washington.
According to last month's indictment the US has filed a warrant for
the arrest of Sevan and Ephraim Nadler, the brother-in-law of former
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali for their alleged involvement
in the kickbacks scandal, the Cyprus Mail reported.
Sevan is accused of receiving some $160,000. However according to his
lawyers, the indictment is based only on two cash deposits, one of
$5,000 in August 2001 and another of $1,200 in January 2002.
Nadler and Sevan have been charged with wire fraud, based on `their
depriving the United Nations of its right to Sevan's honest
services', bribery concerning an organisation (the UN) `that receives
more than $10,000 annually from the federal government', and
conspiracy to commit these offences.
Nadler faces up to 112 years in jail and Sevan up to 50 years. Sevan
insists he received the money from his late aunt in Nicosia over a
number of years. He told the Cyprus Mail he had nothing to hide. He
also said that when he returned to Cyprus some 18 months ago he was
not aware that as a Cypriot citizen he could not be extradited to the
US. `I came home because it's my country,' he said.
Sevan said he too had not heard anything about the US authorities
commencing extradition procedures against him.
The former government of Saddam Hussein's raised $1.8 billion through
kickbacks and surcharges on the sale of oil in the program. But
Saddam is said to have earned $10 billion more from oil that he
smuggled out of the country outside of the UN program, according to
official reports.
Another Cypriot, Joseph Stephanides, had been accused by the Paul
Volcker report of violating U.N. regulations on supplies and security
and favouring certain companies for contracts in Iraq, charges that
were later dismissed.
According to the Volcker report, Sevan's selection of three companies
to participate in the oil-for-food programme (Banque Nationale de
Paris,
Saybolt Eastern Hemisphere BV
and Lloyd's Register Inspection Limited) did not comply with
international regulations for competitive tenders.
The report also accused Sevan of intervening during the years
1998-2001 so that the then-Iraqi government would chosse African
Middle East Petropleum (AMEP) as a contractor.
Feb 16 2007
Cyprus-U.S. ties strained over Sevan extradition
16/02/2007
Cyprus-U.S. diplomatic ties have been strained after the Nicosia
government's refusal to cooperate in efforts to extradite former
United Nations oil-for-food programme director Benon Sevan, according
to local press reports.
Sevan, 69, a Cypriot of Armenian descent was indicted in New York
last month on charges of bribery and corruption in connection with
the OFFP, which yielded millions in kickbacks to the Saddam Hussein
regime.
However, in the absence of an extradition treaty, citizens from
either country cannot be extradited without the approval of the
Attorney General of that country.
Sevan is presently in Cyprus where he is also acting on behalf of the
New York-based AGBU organisation that is trying to sell off the $158
million estate of the Melkonian Armenian school in Nicosia that was
left to the charity corporation in trust by the founders in the
1920s.
Sevan is sharing the same lawyers who are defending the AGBU in a
California federal court case challenging the AGBU's rights over the
Melkonian estate.
`Diplomatic episode with the U.S.A.' declared the daily Alithia on
its front page, adding that while the U.S. government had been
promised by the former Cyprus Ambassador Evripides Evriviades every
assistance in the matter, the Foreign Ministry in Nicosia declared on
February 5 that nothing of this sort had been requested.
`US congressmen request Sevan's extradition' reported the Cyprus
Mail, which added that the two members of congress, Republican Tom
Lantos, who chairs the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs
Committee, and another Republican, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, in
a letter to Andreas Kakouris, the Cypriot ambassador in the US, said
Cyprus' membership in the European Union was seen as "heralding a new
era of international cooperation by your country."
"In this context, we trust that your government will undertake robust
efforts to investigate, locate and extradite Mr Sevan, so that he may
be fairly tried for his alleged violations of United States law and
international confidence," the letter said.
The US embassy in Nicosia said it was `not aware of any such request'
to the Cypriot authorities, the Cyprus Mail reported.
Another newspaper, Politis, reported that `the U.S. is exerting
pressure on Nicosia, demanding Benon Sevan's extradition.'
The Politis correspondent in New York added that `the tone of the
representatives' letter raises a lot of questions.'
The newspaper added that Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was very close relations
to the Hellenic American lobby and in the recent elections last
November was actively supported by the Greek Americans in an effort
to balance the great influence exerted by Tom Lantos, who is
supported by the influential lobby defending Turkish interests in
Washington.
According to last month's indictment the US has filed a warrant for
the arrest of Sevan and Ephraim Nadler, the brother-in-law of former
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali for their alleged involvement
in the kickbacks scandal, the Cyprus Mail reported.
Sevan is accused of receiving some $160,000. However according to his
lawyers, the indictment is based only on two cash deposits, one of
$5,000 in August 2001 and another of $1,200 in January 2002.
Nadler and Sevan have been charged with wire fraud, based on `their
depriving the United Nations of its right to Sevan's honest
services', bribery concerning an organisation (the UN) `that receives
more than $10,000 annually from the federal government', and
conspiracy to commit these offences.
Nadler faces up to 112 years in jail and Sevan up to 50 years. Sevan
insists he received the money from his late aunt in Nicosia over a
number of years. He told the Cyprus Mail he had nothing to hide. He
also said that when he returned to Cyprus some 18 months ago he was
not aware that as a Cypriot citizen he could not be extradited to the
US. `I came home because it's my country,' he said.
Sevan said he too had not heard anything about the US authorities
commencing extradition procedures against him.
The former government of Saddam Hussein's raised $1.8 billion through
kickbacks and surcharges on the sale of oil in the program. But
Saddam is said to have earned $10 billion more from oil that he
smuggled out of the country outside of the UN program, according to
official reports.
Another Cypriot, Joseph Stephanides, had been accused by the Paul
Volcker report of violating U.N. regulations on supplies and security
and favouring certain companies for contracts in Iraq, charges that
were later dismissed.
According to the Volcker report, Sevan's selection of three companies
to participate in the oil-for-food programme (Banque Nationale de
Paris,
Saybolt Eastern Hemisphere BV
and Lloyd's Register Inspection Limited) did not comply with
international regulations for competitive tenders.
The report also accused Sevan of intervening during the years
1998-2001 so that the then-Iraqi government would chosse African
Middle East Petropleum (AMEP) as a contractor.