Cypriot spy shops himself
NICOSIA (AFP) – The Cypriot military is investigating a serious security breach following claims that a man convicted of spying for Turkey was allowed access to a sensitive military installation, a report said yesterday. According to the Politis newspaper, it was the spy himself who declared his past to a shocked naval officer who had spoken to him about confidential security matters. George Josephides, 49, was allegedly employed as a technician by a company contracted to carry out work at the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Mari on the south coast. He was party to conversations among senior officers who discussed security measures at the base, including the capability of new radar systems on patrol boats, said Politis. It appears that Josephides went to the Politis newspaper with his story to prove he was wrongly convicted of spying, as he could easily have sold the secrets that he was told this time around. In 1988, Josephides was arrested trying to cross over to the Turkish-held north of the island. He was convicted for six years, but won early release in March 2003.
