Body snatchers

Police have confirmed the missing corpse of former Greek Cypriot president Tassos Papadopoulos has been found after a three month investigation into the kidnapping of his body.

Cypriot authorities say they found the stolen body after an anonymous tip-off that steered the police to a cemetery outside of the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. The body has been formerly identified by Papadopoulos' family members.

"We have received the DNA test results and the body is that of the late president," police spokesman Michalis Katsounodos told Reuters.

Papadopoulos died in December 2008 of lung cancer and was buried in a cemetery in Deftera, a village southwest of Nicosia. The theft of his body was discovered one day before the first anniversary of his death in 2009.

The disappearance of Papadopoulos' body caused national outrage on the Mediterranean island.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the theft and the motives were unclear.

At the time police said the robbery was "deliberate and carefully planned," with the perpetrators taking precautions to cover their tracks. Despite suspicions the robbery was financially motivated, Papadopoulos' family members have said no ransom was ever received.

Papadopoulos served as president from 2003 until March 2008. He lost a bid for a second term in office in 2008 after being defeated by Demetris Christofias, a former coalition partner.

He was a popular figure with Greek Cypriots after leading them in rejecting a UN plan to reunite the divided island. Turkish Cypriots voted in a simultaneous referendum to back the plan, but it failed and the Greek sector later joined the EU.

cb/dpa/Reuters/AFP
Editor: Jennifer Abramsohn