Paphos People

Cyprus police are expressing growing concern over the abduction of a Russian property developer in Paphos yesterday.

Viacheslav Shimkevich, 60, was kidnapped by a gang of hooded men who turned up at his home in the coastal city.

According to a statement to local police by Shimkevich's wife, four Russian-speaking men turned up at the house during the morning, tied and gagged her then placed her in an upstairs bedroom.

Moments later they discovered her husband in the bathroom and took him away in a rented Lexus car with tourist licence plates.

Interpol, Europol and Russian police are said to have been alerted to the abduction.

Famagusta Gazette

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A 60-YEAR-old Russian land developer was kidnapped by a gang of hooded men from his home outside Paphos in broad daylight yesterday.

By last night authorities were no closer to discovering who or why Viacheslav Shimkevich had been abducted without a trace.

Police said the kidnapping was reported by Shimkevich’s 37-year-old wife, Irena.

According to her statement, four men arrived at their two-storey home in Konia village at around 10am. The assailants, who spoke Russian, knocked her over and proceeded to handcuff and gag her. She told police the men were hooded, wore gloves and were clothed in black.

“Her face was then covered and she was put in one of the bedrooms upstairs,” police said.

“Two of the men stayed with her and two others went looking for her husband who was in the bathroom. They waited for him to come out and then they took him into the living room where they remained for three hours.”

Reports said the 37-year-old overheard the men arguing about money.

Shimkevich is said to be involved in the purchase and sale of land in Cyprus. Police said he had a Greek Cypriot business partner with whom investigators were due to talk to last night.

“Whether he was involved in anything dishonest or corrupt we do not know. His wife doesn’t know anything. He was a man who bought and sold land and worked with someone from here, who we plan to speak to,” police said.

At around 1pm, the four men bundled the 60-year-old into a grey Lexus with red number plates, leading police to believe the car was rented.

“They removed his wife’s handcuffs before leaving and she saw them take her husband. That’s when she called us,” police said.

Interpol, Europol and the Russian police have been contacted for assistance with the investigation.

Neighbours said the couple, who have two children, had been living at the Andrea Kyriakou Street residence for less than a year.

Socrates Vassiliades, 54, said the couple had kept to themselves and did nothing to raise any suspicions.

“I hardly saw the husband. I only caught a glimpse of him getting out of his car when he came home one afternoon,” he said.

“I met his wife a few times and found her to be very nice. The little I knew of her she seemed very likeable and friendly.”

The 54-year-old said the incident had shocked residents, as this was a first for the quiet village of around 3,000 inhabitants.

“I’ve had my car broken into a few times recently but we’ve never had anything like this before. It’s alarming. My four grandchildren are at home with me and it makes you worry about them.”

He said the older of the children had already been asking him why their street had been swarming with police and yellow tape all afternoon.

“We didn’t of course tell them anything because we don’t want to frighten them.”
Vassiliades said he had been at home all morning but that that he had not seen or heard anything.

“It was obviously the work of professionals because I didn’t notice anything until the police showed up and they started putting up the tape.”

The 54-year-old said the incident was yet another example of how things had changed.

“In the past we would have known everything about our neighbours and would have been very close knit. But in the last 10 years the village has grown at an excessively rapid rate and people no longer know each other the way they did. A lot of foreigners have moved into the area and relationships are a little more distant due to the difference in cultures.”

He added: “It’s a shame. People don’t even know their neighbours any more nor have any particular involvement with them. This [incident] just goes to show you never really know your neighbour and your imagination just thinks the worst.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Paphos CID, the nearest police station or the citizen’s helpline on 1460.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

Thursday, March 13, 2008

THE ordeal of Russian land developer Viacheslav Shimkevich, who was kidnapped on Tuesday noon, came to an end early yesterday.

Shimkevich was set free after a 12-hour nightmare which saw the 60-year-old being psychologically, but not physically, abused.

According to police, the kidnapping appears to be an all-Russian affair, fuelled by financial motives.

In particular, Russian title deeds and offshore bank accounts belonging to Shimkevich and his second wife Irena seem to be at the heart of the case.

The deeds are in the name of his wife, but had been acquired during Shimkevich’s first marriage.

According to Shimkevich’s statement to the Paphos CID, the kidnappers told him that he should forget about the land he had in Russia.

Police confirmed that the kidnappers were indeed looking for the land developer’s personal documents and Russian title deeds, since many of these were nowhere to be found after they entered his house on Tuesday morning.

Shemkevich and his wife live with their two children at Andrea Kyriakou Street in Konia village.

Despite the fact that the kidnapping happened in broad daylight, neighbours did not notice anything was wrong.

“It was obviously the work of professionals because I didn’t notice anything until the police showed up and they started putting up the tape,” said one of the neighbours.
After being taken away from his house, Shimkevich was injected with an anaesthetic which caused general paralysis.

He was not unconscious and could speak, but a mask had been pulled over his head so as to ensure he could not see where he was being taken to.

The Russian speculated that the grey Jeep – which had rental licence plates – drove for about half an hour over long stretches straight roads.

Shimkevich said that the four men took him to a mansion in the Coral Bay area, whereupon he was asked to divulge information regarding his offshore bank accounts.
The kidnapping was reported by Irena who was handcuffed and gagged by the assailants.

“They removed his wife’s handcuffs before leaving and she saw them take her husband. That’s when she called us,” police said. Reports said the 37-year-old overheard the men arguing about money.

“Whether he was involved in anything dishonest or corrupt we do not know. His wife doesn’t know anything. He was a man who bought and sold land and worked with someone from here, whom we plan to speak to,” police said.

At around midnight, the Russian turned up at Paphos CID, after being driven there by a Greek Cypriot friend of his.

He said that his kidnappers had set him free in an open space in Paphos District, which he subsequently took police to.

“This is a wholly Russian affair in which Cypriots do not seem to be involved.

“The kidnappers wanted Shimkevich to transfer money to an offshore bank account,” police said.

Speculations as to the legal nature of title deeds, namely that they were nameless and made out to the bearer do not withstand legal scrutiny.

A lawyer at the Andreas Neocleous legal firm, which deals extensively with Russian business, affirmed that, “Russian title deeds do indeed have names on them.

“Only bonds may be made out ‘to the bearer’, but these are different documents altogether.

“Therefore, the kidnappers could not have used the title deeds they stole for extortion,” he concluded.

Interpol, Europol and the Russian police have been contacted for assistance with the investigation.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008