The trial of Afik Group head Simon Mistrel Aykut continues in Cyprus.

Yesterday, the Supreme Criminal Court in Nicosia continued the trial of Afik Group CEO Simon Mistral Aykut, who was arrested in Cyprus on charges of illegally using Greek Cypriot property in the TRNC.

According to Alithia, a staff member of the “Mağusa” Land Registry, Chrisovalandos Kyprianou, testified at the hearing. The defense, represented by lawyer Maria Neophytou, challenged the legal validity of cadastral archives concerning property in the TRNC, where Afik has developed residential and tourist projects. The hearing began with criticism from the defense about police investigation methods.

Kyprianou confirmed that the identification of the disputed plots began at the initiative of the police, who provided a Google Earth image with markings, requesting ownership confirmation. He noted that the original archives of the Kyrenia and Famagusta regions remained in the TRNC after 1974, and the Cypriot administration only has so-called “temporary records” based on refugee declarations and witness statements.

Neophytou stated that such documents are not title deeds and can only be recognized as property evidence after approval by the Council of Ministers, which has not yet occurred. Kyprianou agreed. He also noted that without access to the archives located in the TRNC, a full verification of ownership claims is impossible.

According to him, the Land Registry has no information on transactions occurring in the TRNC unless they are registered in the Greek Cypriot system. He also did not know whether the owners of the disputed plots had applied to the TRNC Property Commission or received compensation.

One of the plots, Kyprianou admitted, is “disputed,” which may be due to information errors or share conflicts. Nevertheless, he emphasized the reliability of the temporary records, based on his 33 years of experience.

The hearing will continue today. Aykut followed the process with an interpreter, and his son was also present in the courtroom.