Cypriot 'Robin Hood’ Politician Gaoled

Press, Volume C, Issue 29515, 17 May 1961, Page 15

Cypriot 'Robin Hood’ Politician Gaoled

(/V.Z. Press Assoctatton—Copyright) NICOSIA, May 16. Lefkios Rodosthenous, a deputy in the Cyprus House of Representatives who set himself up as a modern Robin Hood was yesterday gaoled for a year, the Associated Press reported.

Rodosthenous formed a secret organisation in Limassol with the object of ridding the town of a notorious group of gangsters who were allegedly British police informers during the Cyprus “liberation struggle.'’ The gang was broken up recently by police. Rodosthenous’ sentence for stealing and demanding money with menaces—brought angry scenes outside the Court, said the news agency. The 26-year-old Rodosthenous was once an Eoka leader with a price of £5OOO x>n his head. With Andreas Moustakas—also a former Eoka man—who was gaoled for nine months on the same charges Rodosthenous was accused of robbing a rich Limassol businessman of £4OOO and attempting to extort with menaces an additional sum of £2OOOO. The £4OOO they did get was banked by Rodosthenous in a trust fund in the names

of the widows and orphans of Eoka fighters. Rodosthenous formed his secret organisation to get rid of the gangs’ ers, whom he claimed were being used by the Limassol businessman. Efstathios Kynacou. to settle his labour disputes Rodesthenous imposed a “fine" of £2O 000 on Kyriacou and threatened him with death if he refused to pay. Kyriacou paid the £4OOO as a first instalment, then reported the matter to the police Passing sentence the president of the full Assize Court said: "It is unpleasant for the Court to impose sentence on a person who has not acted for personal gain, but the acts of the accused demand this sentence." "Since August 16, 1960. Cyprus has its own Government and police and the revolution is over. If Cyprus is to know better days we must accept that nobody can take the law into his own hands. Basic principles of justice must prevail,” he said