Eight Syrian men accused of the premediated murder of a 20-year-old male compatriot who was found dead last April in Chlorakas, Paphos pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
A ninth suspect, accused of being an accessory after the fact, also pleaded not guilty.
The case concerns the death of 20-year-old Jamal Alhadz whose body was found hidden in a riverbed last April. The victim had been stabbed multiple times with a knife during an altercation in the Vrexi area on the coastal road between Chlorakas and Kato Paphos. The killing was related to matters of honour.
Prosecution told court on Wednesday that the incident unfolded in three locations: in the Mesogi area where the victim was abducted, the house of one of the suspects to which the victim was taken and Vrexi beach in Chlorakas where the 20-year-old was taken and murdered.
One of the suspects said in his testimony that he and three other suspects had agreed on April 10 that they had to make the victim stop his relationship with the wife of one of their friends. The husband of the woman is still at large and is wanted as the perpetrator of the murder.
He said that on that day he and another suspect drove around to find Alhadz. Two other suspects followed them in another car.
Alhadz’ flatmate, who is also among the suspects, said he had received a call from them that day asking him to help them locate the 20-year-old to beat him up. The flatmate said he went with one of the four men looking for Alhadz to where they had arranged to meet the 20-year-old.
At the meeting point, Alhadz, followed by his flatmate and the other man, who called the men in the cars to tell them where the 20-year-old was headed.
After being caught, the victim was taken by car to the house of another suspect where the husband was waiting for them, along with another wanted man and three of the suspects.
They then took the victim to the Vrexi area, where three of the suspects and the two wanted men started hitting him and kicking him. One of the two wanted men then stabbed the 20-year-old.
After he died, all suspects left the scene and three of them returned, wrapped the body in a cloth and dumped it in a nearby area covering it so that it is not visible.
They then went to an area in Emba village and burned the cloth they had wrapped the body, the gloves they wore and the victim’s jacket.
During interrogation, some of the suspects said they had gone there to intimidate the 20-year-old but they had tried to prevent the fatal injury of the victim.
The nine suspects are between 19 and 31.
The ninth suspect, 31, accused of being an accessory after the fact, is said to be the owner of the vehicle that was used after the crime was committed.
The two other men who are wanted, aged 22 and 25, fled to the north and efforts are underway through the technical committee on crime for them to be delivered to the Republic to stand trial. A government representative told court, however, they had no information on when this would take place.
The hearing procedure will resume on November 12.
The court ordered the release of two of the suspects on terms, while the rest will remain under custody.
