Cherie Blair and the Bounced
Cheque from North Cyprus
Cherie
Blair, who is the wife of the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair,
is at the centre of a series of rumours concerning bounced cheques for her
controversial legal work in North Cyprus.
Cherie Blair
was allegedly given a dud cheque for payment of her legal fees when she
defended Linda and David Orams against the claim by Meletios Apostolides
concerning a house in Lapta, North Cyprus.
The report
started in the Star Kibris newspaper during March 2009 and states that a
cheque for GBP 150,000 was made out to Cherie Blair, but that the cheque
was dishonoured and was returned by her bank.
The work was
undertaken in 2006 in London where Cherie Blair successfully defended a
claim by a Greek Cypriot, Mr Meletios Apostolides against a British
couple, Linda and David Orams. The claimant had secured a judgement
against Linda and David Orams in the Greek Cypriot court of South Nicosia
and wished to have the judgment registered in London. If Mr Apostolides
had been successful, then the British Court may have given Mr Apostolides
leave to seize the Oram’s UK assets.
The dispute
is based on a property in Lapta, North Cyprus. Linda and David Orams
bought the property for GBP 160,000 in 2003. Mr Meletios Apostolides
claims to be the lawful owner of the property, which was owned by his
family prior to the partition of Cyprus in 1974.
When the
island was partitioned in 1974, Greek Cypriots were displaced to the
south, and Turkish Cypriots moved to the north. Members of both
communities were forced to abandon their homes in the conflict. The modern
Republic of Cyprus is on the south of the island, and is Greek, while the
Turkish Republic of North Cyprus is on the north of the island, and is
Turkish. Nicosia is the only remaining divided city in the world.
At first
sight, the story seems implausible. If Cherie Blair’s fees had
not been paid for her legal work in 2006, then it is unlikely that she
would have continued to represent Linda and David Orams in 2007, and
latterly in 2008, when the case moved to the European Court of Justice.
However, the rumours were given momentum by the fact that a spokeswomen
for Matrix Chambers, Cherie Blair’s law firm, refused to
comment on the story.
Similarly,
Linda Orams was recently asked about the rumour. Although she dismissed
the report, she could not confirm that Cherie Blair’s fees had
been paid. Again, a simple confirmation of payment would have clarified
the matter and ended speculation.
The total
costs to date of defending Linda and David Orams against the claim by
Meletios Apostolides is in excess if GBP 1 million, and the case is
continuing. The story about the dud cheque draws attention to the high
political profile of the case.
The
political importance of the case is based on the unresolved issue of
property rights in Cyprus. During 1974, Greek Cypriots left their
properties in the north and fled to the south of the island. Conversely,
Turkish Cypriots left their properties in the south and moved to the
north. These refugees are referred to as dispossessed persons and the EU
has already affirmed that their property rights have not been extinguished
by the passage of time.
The European
Court of Justice has, on several occasions, ruled in favour of
dispossessed Greek Cypriots in cases where the Turkish Army is occupying
property vacated by fleeing refugees.
If a UK
court accepts and registers the verdict of the South Nicosia court, which
was in favour of Meletios Apostolides, then the UK assets of Linda and
David Orams could be at risk. As the main purchasers of North Cyprus
property are Britons seeking holiday homes in the sun, an adverse decision
would effectively end the purchase of North Cyprus property by Britons.
It is highly
unlikely that either the Orams or Mr Apostolides are themselves paying the
enormous legal fees incurred. Linda Orams has stated this. It is generally
thought that the Greek Republic of Cyprus is paying the fees of Meletios
Apostolides and that the North Cyprus administration is paying the fees of
Linda and David Orams. However, neither party will confirm this. Instead,
reference is made to mysterious and anonymous private donors of funds.
Therefore to
state that Cherie Blair received a cheque from either Turkey or the North
Cyprus administration is in itself mischievous. To further allege that the
cheque was dishonoured, is scandalous and defamatory.
However, the
story has wide circulation on internet blogs and further rumours have
surfaced. One rumour is that Cherie Blair agreed for her legal fees to be
paid in kind, and is now the owner of several apartments in North Cyprus.
One apartment is allegedly near Lapta, which is the location of the
disputed property.
Cherie and
Tony Blair have an interest in property investment. In 2002, they used the
services of convicted fraudster Peter Foster to purchase two apartments in
Bristol, one for the use of their son Euan, and the other as a rental
investment.
It is
further rumoured that Cherie Blair now owns several apartments in North
Cyprus, which are held in trust, and that rental income is collected by a
well known British estate agent.
The Greek
Cypriot press were outraged at the fact that the wife of the then British
Prime Minister was involved in a highly political case concerning North
Cyprus property. If the current rumours are true, and Cherie Blair is the
anonymous owner of several North Cyprus apartments, this outrage will be
re-ignited.
Leslie
Hardy, April 2009
Leslie Hardy
is a noted writer on North Cyprus Property and the UK Chairman of
Wellington Estates Ltd. Read more about Cherie Blair and North Cyprus
Evangelos
Savva
Consul-General
Cyprus High
Commission
13 St.
James's Sq
London SW1Y
4LB
Tel 020
73214100
Fax 020
73214164
www.mfa.gov.cy/highcomlondon
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