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| International |
| Cyprus pooh-poohs money allegations |
| 2001-09-18 |
Cyprus authorities hit back Tuesday at allegations by a former CIA director that the island was a haven for the ill-gotten gains of Osama bin Laden, wanted by the United States for last week's devastating terrorist attacks. James Woolsey told Italian newspaper La Repubblica that Cyprus was a refuge for bin Laden's dirty money. "Now the pressure on financial havens begins. We are asking them to coordinate their activities with us, but there are some countries that are reluctant to cooperate, and the worst of all is Cyprus," he alleged. "If Mr Woolsey believes bin Laden's treasure is here, then the problem of international terrorism is solved," Cyprus Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides told state television Tuesday. He added: "He (Woolsey) should come here himself, tell me where it is and I will personally hand it over to him." The minister accused the ex-CIA man of "negligence" for not offering information about where bin Laden's money was. "Who is this Woolsey? ... He should be punished with a 400-year prison term," said an irate Cassoulides. "Accusations are made against Cyprus without any specific evidence," senior central Bank of Cyprus official Spyros Stavrinakis said. "There are no bank accounts or Cyprus companies in the name of bin Laden but then his name wouldn't appear if he didn't want to be found." The central bank official said Washington had approached the Cypriot authorities two months ago and asked for information about bin Laden's money. "They did not have specifics about accounts or transactions. So it's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Cyprus has long been branded a money-laundering centre despite repeated denials of the government, but it has managed to stay off tax haven blacklists. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |