In a landmark decision, British High Court judges have ruled that the UK police can co-operate with law enforcement agencies in North Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot daily ‘Havadis’ reports.
According to the ruling, fugitives who refuse to return to Britain to face trial can be prosecuted in North Cyprus instead.
The paper republished the article by the ‘Daily Telegraph’, reporting that 60-year-old businessman, Hasan Akarcay, who is suspected of involvement in serious drugs crimes and fled the UK for Northern Cyprus in 2006, will be prosecuted in the TRNC now, after the results of the UK investigation were passed on to the authorities in North Cyprus.
The paper further reported the following:
“Akarcay’s legal team took the case to the High Court, where they claimed the passing of evidence and assistance to Turkish Cyprus was illegal. His lawyers argued that co-operating amounted to an “act of recognition” by the UK of Northern Cyprus. That was illegal, because it breached the terms of repeated UN Security Council resolutions, they claimed. But rejecting the challenge, Lord Justice Burnett said there was no duty in UK law upon the government to refrain from recognising Northern Cyprus.”
Havadis
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