NICOSIA - There were angry scenes outside the Finance.
Ministry yesterday when six bailiffs holding a.
court order attempted to confiscate ministerial.
limousines in a legal dispute over compulsory.
land acquisitions.
Bailiffs had a court injunction to confiscate state.
property – including vehicles and furniture - in a.
legal action by a group of property owners seeking.
payment for state acquisitioned land.
When government officials prevented the men taking.
away the car of Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly.
attention turned to the vehicle of visiting Commerce.
Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis.
Tensions ran high when the minister (photo) was.
asked to get out of his car so it could be towed away.
but his driver intervened.
Prevented from doing their job the bailiffs filed a.
complaint with the police that were obstructed from.
executing a court order.
“This case is about the revoking of an expropriation.
order worth about €5 million plus interest. The matter.
is in court, because the owner demands the acquisition.
be executed,” said a written statement by.
Stefanos Stefanou.
“The state does not need this piece of land so it does.
not feel that it owes anything. The state is awaiting.
the decision of the court and will act accordingly,” he.
added.
He described moves to confiscate Sylikiotis’ car as.
“unacceptable and strongly condemnable”.
The government was also upset that the embarrassing.
scenes outside the Finance Ministry seemed.
to be stage managed with the island’s media in full.
attendance to witness the event.
“Cameras were informed beforehand from those.
serving the election campaign aims of Mr Anastasaides….
this low propaganda shames our political life,”.
said Stefanou.
Interior Minister Eleni Mavrou said pending payments.
for compulsory land acquisitions valued at.
€570m, and dating back to 1974, were under review.
as part of wider belt-tightening.
"A process of reassessment has started, we have.
already revoked expropriations of €160m, these were.
considered to have been hastily done and without.
planning.".
The Nicos Anastasiades election team was quick to.
pounce on the “unprecedented” incident to highlight.
the financial mess the government has gotten itself.
into.
"This is a result of the economic misery which the.
Christofias administration and Akel leadership has.
led us to," said campaign spokesman Tassos Mitsopoulos.
.