A British property developer has been jailed for 10 months in connection with a case involving the development and sale of “illegal” land in Northern Cyprus.

Nicosia District Court ruled yesterday that Briton Gary Cobb was guilty of appropriation of Greek Cypriot property, in Cyprus’ northern Turkish occupied areas. 

The Court described the offences committed as serious, noting that the law provides for a two-year jail sentence and a hefty fine for such offences.  However, the judge took into account mitigating circumstances relating to the case, namely his admission of guilt and his apologies, as well as his family circumstances.

Cobb was a manager a Turkish Cypriot development company, called “AGA Development Ltd in the mid noughties. The company aimed to build 335 luxury residences in the occupied village of Klepini, in the northern Kyrenia District. 

Construction work began in, January 2005 and by the end of April of 2005 around 85% of the residencies had been sold, with the selling price ranging from 50 to 100 thousand Cyprus Pounds. The project was never completed.

According to data from the Kyrenia District Lands Office, the affected surface area is 273,800 square meters, with 261,589 square meters belonging to Greek Cypriots, 7,550 square meters to Turkish Cypriots and the remaining 4,661 square meters being state property.

A number of cases have been brought against foreign nationals for buying land that has  contested ownership but this is the one of the few that have resulted in a jail sentence.