Ukrainian national receives 30-month term over Greek Cypriot land exploitation

A man from Ukraine was given a two-and-a-half-year custodial sentence by the Nicosia criminal court after confessing to offences connected with promoting properties built unlawfully on Greek Cypriot-owned plots in the north.

Ukrainian national receives 30-month term over Greek Cypriot land exploitation

The Nicosia permanent criminal court imposed a two-and-a-half-year custodial sentence on a 41-year-old defendant this past Friday. The man, who holds Ukrainian citizenship, had confessed to crimes linked to the misuse of Greek Cypriot real estate in the occupied northern part of the island.

Law enforcement authorities stated that the scheme revolved around publicising and marketing structures erected without legal permission on plots owned by Greek Cypriots. These parcels were located in settlements within the Kyrenia and Famagusta regions, as reported by Cyprus Mail.

The accused acknowledged responsibility for all 18 counts filed against him, prompting the court to deliver the 30-month penalty following his guilty plea.

Legal proceedings first commenced in 2025 when the individual appeared before the Nicosia district court. The matter was then escalated for immediate adjudication at the criminal court level. At that stage, state prosecutors presented claims alleging collusion to carry out a serious offence, deceitful dealings concerning property held by others, and an agreement to commit fraud.

The prison term brings to a close the judicial process that began after the foreign national was apprehended and formally charged over his role in promoting and trading buildings situated on Greek Cypriot land without authorisation in the island's northern territories.

Source: Cyprus Mail