NICOSIA // A notorious rapist and killer known as Al Capone is suspected of masterminding from his prison cell the macabre theft of the body of Cyprus's former president, Tassos Papadopoulos.
Officials said his corpse was being held in an unsuccessful ransom bid until its discovery in a cemetery on Monday night - three months after it was stolen from a graveyard just kilometres away.
Capone's alleged involvement is a new twist in an already bizarre case that horrified the divided island and baffled investigators.
There had been no claim of responsibility, no leads and no obvious motive - until an unexpected breakthrough this week.
An Indian suspect, whom police said has confessed involvement, disclosed where the body was hidden, apparently after feeling remorse.
Sarbjit Singh, 31, told investigators that he and Capone's brother exhumed Papadopoulos's body, and that the theft was ordered by the prisoner, a court heard on Wednesday.
Capone, 44, whose real name is Antonis Prokopiou Kitas, has been serving consecutive life sentences since 1994 for the abduction, rape and brutal murder of two foreign women in the tourist resort of Ayia Napa.
His latest alleged outrage has prompted soul-searching among officials and politicians, as well as highly critical media comment.
"A state that cannot exercise any control over a convict in prison cannot inspire great confidence among its citizens," said an editorial in yesterday's Cyprus Mail.
A senior opposition parliamentarian, Ionas Nicolaou, was quoted in the same daily saying that "a godfather situation prevails within the prison walls".
Capone, who anointed himself with his alias many years ago, has embarrassed prison and police officials acutely before.
In December 2008, he gave snoozing prison guards the slip at a private Nicosia clinic where he was being treated for stomach ailments. Within minutes his getaway car chanced upon three police patrol vehicles, which he rammed before speeding off, Hollywood-style, in a volley of gunfire.
There were reports Capone had lived a life of leisure during his six months at the clinic, using an illicit mobile phone to place bets while his Chinese wife spent most nights with him.
He was recaptured three weeks later but the debacle led to the resignations of the justice minister and police chief.
Papadopoulos's grave was desecrated at night during a thunderstorm on December 11. It was the eve of the first anniversary of his death at 74 from lung cancer.
Investigators spoke of a carefully-planned operation, saying it would have taken three or four people to shift the 250kg granite slab covering his tomb. Help was sought from Interpol, Scotland Yard and the FBI.
One early conspiracy theory was that the robbery was the work of a ransom-seeking, professional Balkan crime gang; another that politically-motivated locals were responsible.
But the scenario now unfolding suggests a far less sophisticated - if no less remarkable - operation carried out by just two money-motivated Greek Cypriots and an Indian migrant down on his luck.
In a statement to police, Mr Singh said he and Capone's brother, Mamas Kitas, 48, handled the grisly exhumation themselves, armed with just a pickaxe and shovel. Mr Kitas told Mr Singh they would "dig up a grave and get money", the court heard.
Under torrential rain the two shunted aside the granite slab, then Capone's brother dug out Mr Papadopoulos's remains while Singh kept lookout, Yiannakis Charalambous, a police superintendent, told the court.The two men then whisked the body off to another cemetery in Mr Kitas's pickup truck, interring the remains in the grave of someone who died last year, he said.
Mr Singh was paid ?200 euros (Dh1,004) for the job, with the promise of more from his fellow suspect, which he never received, Mr Charalambous testified.
He said the Indian told interrogators he had felt remorse and contacted Papadopoulos's wealthy family recently, offering to identify the corpse's location in exchange for cash so that he could start a new life abroad.
Although Mr Singh's repeated attempts for a pay-off were rebuffed, he revealed where the body was hidden, Mr Charalambous said.
The motive behind the crime has been a mystery. The justice minister, Loucas Louca, said this week it was financial gain, but insisted no ransom was paid, and he ruled out any political motive.
Cypriot media reported the thieves had demanded ?300,000. But representatives for the Papadopoulos family insisted no ransom demand was made.
There has also been press speculation that Capone may have had the outlandish idea of exchanging the body for an early release.
Police said they are investigating 11 charges against the three suspects, including extortion and sacrilege. None has been formally charged.
Papadopoulos was a controversial figure, but leaders across the political spectrum had united in condemning the "unholy" grave robbery.
He was president from 2003 to 2008, although his career spanned most of the island's turbulent modern history since gaining independence in 1960. He is remembered for rallying the Greek Cypriot community in 2004 to reject a UN blueprint to resolve the long-running Cyprus problem.
Abroad, he was viewed as a hardline rejectionist who had squandered a historic opportunity to reunite the former British colony but at home he was hailed by many Greek Cypriots for standing up to the international community by rejecting a plan they saw as unfair. His body was reburied at his original resting place near Nicosia yesterday afternoon.
@Email:mtheodoulou@thenational.ae
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
More on Quran memorisation:
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
