WASHINGTON –A talent agency representing Julio Iglesias has taken the operators of an occupied areas hotel to federal court in the USA for “defrauding” the internationally-known singer into accepting to play there in 2010 and threatening to sue the agency when Iglesias backed out.
Represented by prominent Greek-American lawyer Athan Tsimpedes, who has represented several Greek Cypriots in the Diaspora over occupied area property issues, the International Creative Talent Agency(ICTA) asks the court to declare that it has no liability for cancelling the concert, and wants the occupied areas defendants to pay it compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial.
The talent agency had previous sued Net Holdings, Voyager Kibris Ltd. dba Merit Crystal Hotel & Casino, and Onur Unal, of Turkey, alleging fraud with malice, conspiracy, detrimental reliance, and intentional and negligent misrepresentation.
According to the lawsuit, the Merit Crystal Hotel is owned by a Greek Cypriot, but was seized by Voyager under the auspices of occupied areas regime.
“In complete disregard for the laws of the Republic of Cyprus and the lawful property owner upon whose property the concert was to be performed under the falsified name ‘Merit Crystal Hotel & Casino,’ the defendants, including Unal, colluded and conspired to conceal the illegality of their conduct and identity of the true owner to obtain the contract for the performance of Julio Iglesias and then to threaten, harass and intimidate ICTA based on false and deceptive representations,” the complaint states.
The talent agency had sued the occupied areas in 2011 for breach of contract after Iglesias backed out of the deal, but US District Judge James Boasberg dismissed the case, stating that “plaintiff’s contract claims against the TRNC are puzzling given that Iglesias, not defendants, terminated the contract, which the TRNC was not even a party to.”
In the present case, the talent agency claims that Voyager, Net Holdings and Unal defrauded Iglesias into accepting the gig, then threatened the agency when he backed out.

Cyprus Weekly