Cypriot police raid Helios Airways offices

NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cypriot police on Monday raided the
Nicosia offices of Helios Airways, owners of the Boeing 737
that crashed in Greece a day earlier killing all 121 people on
board, a government spokesman said.

“After allegations brought by the Communications and Works
Minister and the chief of police, the attorney general issued
search warrants for the central offices of Helios to collect
documents and other evidence that might be useful in a possible
criminal investigation,” spokesman Marios Karoyan told Reuters.

Cypriot communications and works minister Haris Thrasou
also oversees transport, including civil aviation.

Attorney General Petros Clerides told Reuters the raids
were in progress. “The search warrants have been executed,” he
said.

Helios, Cyprus’s first private carrier, established in
1999, mainly flies holiday makers to Athens, Greek islands,
Dublin, Sofia, Warsaw, Prague, Strasbourg and several British
airports using Boeing B737 aircraft.

Libra Holidays Group, one of Britain’s leading independent
holiday tour operators, bought Helios in November 2004.