Thieves Demand Ransom for Cyprus President's Corpse

Body discovered dumped at another cemetery
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 9, 2010 5:00 AM CST
Thieves Demand Ransom for Cyprus President's Corpse
Police officer investigates a grave where the body of former Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos was discovered at Strovolos cemetery, in a suburb of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday.   (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

The mystery behind the bodysnatching of Cyprus' former president seems to have been solved: The island nation's justice minister today ruled out a political motive, revealing that a ransom demand had been made. He said Tassos Papadopoulos' family had received a demand for ransom for the return of the body, which was stolen from its grave on Nicosia's southern outskirts in December.

A body discovered at a Nicosia cemetery late last night has been confirmed by DNA testing to be that of Papadopoulos. The minister did not say when the demand was made, but he did say that no ransom was paid.
(More Cyprus stories.)

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