Stolen gems
Φωτ. Σπ. Στάβερης
"Mr. Etienne Stephanos, Marketing Officer and Greek interpreter of UTA told the Criminal Justice Commission (Exchange Frauds) that when he opened one of the packets in the parcel he found several stones shining brightly. It took him about ten minutes to open the packet as it was well wrapped and pasted down with tape.
Mr Stephanos said under examination by Mr. Niranjan Sinnetamby, senior state counsel that almost every week he travelled aboard a UTA flight as a Greek interpreter.
On December 10, 1970 he came to Colombo on a UTA flight and was in transit lounge chatting to Mr. Clabaut, station manager Colombo, when the third suspect Mr. Wickremasinghe, Traffic Officer spoke to him.
Witness had met Mr. Wickremasinghe earlier. On this occasion Mr. Wickremasinghe requested him to do him a favor by taking a parcel containing two packets of tea to his brother in Singapore. Mr. Wickremasinghe asked him to hand over the parcel to the station manager in Singapore and said that the station manager would know what to do.
Mr. Stephanos said he spoke to Mr. Clabaut for sometime and they boarded the aircraft when it was time to leave.
Inside the aircraft he entered the first class cabin and was speaking to Mrs. Burgeon, a director of UTA, when a steward handed him a parcel. Taking the parcel with him he went back to his seat and leaving the parcel on it attended to his work.
Later when the plane was about to touch down at Bankkok he went to his seat and took the parcel to leave it on the ground and found it to be rather heavy, unlike a parcel of tea. He immediately examined the parcel and having opened a packet in the parcel found stones.
Mr. Stephanos said he decided to inform the chief steward and went towards the cockpit. On the way he told Mrs Burgeon who informed Mr. Grevont who was also a passenger.
Mr. Stephanos said the parcel was handed over to Mr. Tetart station manager Singapore with instructions to inform the Custom authorities there.
Questioned about the contents of the packet, Mr. Stephanos said there were several stones of which were polished and some rough."
Daily News Ceylon (13.05.2014)
