Filenews 16 June 2022
The case of the 74-year-old in Paphos, accused of the murder of his wife committed last December in the area of Tremithousa, has been postponed until September 19, 2022. The 74-year-old was brought today, Thursday 16 June, before the Permanent Criminal Court of Paphos from the Central Prison where he is being held. In today's court proceedings, the president of the Criminal Court stated that the case is postponed again for a hearing on 19.9.22 at 09:00 due to a busy schedule of the Court and an ongoing case concerning the sexual abuse of a minor.
Andronikos Tsapis, Sergeant of the Paphos Crime Detection Department, is expected to testify at the next trial. As reported in the Court, the defence attorneys of the 74-year-old have been given all the evidence as well as the forensic report of the medical examiner Nikolas Charalambous in order to be able to inform their client. The Prosecution Authority, represented by the Lawyer of the Republic Andreas Hatzikyrou, requested that the accused remain in custody, while the lawyers of the 74-year-old's defence did not object to the request of the Prosecution Authority. The Court summoned KA as in the next trial, in addition to Sergeant Andronikos Tsapis, to present other witnesses to speed up the process. The President of the Court stated that the issue of ensuring the presence of the accused has been the subject of a previous trial and reiterated the reasoning of the Court for the continuation of his detention since, as he said, no differentiating element has been put. He also reiterated the existence of a risk of absconding, the visible possibility of conviction of the accused, as well as the serious crime he committed. We are satisfied, said the President of the Court, that based on the indictment, the accused faces one of the most serious charges in the criminal code, adding that the sentence provided by law is life imprisonment, while in order to ensure his presence in the Court he must remain under arrest. It is noted that the 74-year-old on December 31, 2021 was referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court, after, according to the Police, he "confessed to the murder against his 75-year-old wife by blocking her nose and mouth with his hands", because , as he mentioned, she was ill and he could not watch her suffering.