Filenews 24 April 2023 - by Ioanna Mantzipia
The tangle of the mysterious disappearance of 31-year-old Angelos Pericleous, who disappeared from the face of the earth since Thursday night (20/4), is being unravelled by the investigators of the ICF of Limassol and Nicosia. The 31-year-old remains missing for a fourth day, with searches for his whereabouts continuing at an intensive pace in three districts. In the frame as the main suspect in the case is the 24-year-old Greek Cypriot, from Nicosia, a well-known hacker, who was wanted. Yesterday afternoon he presented himself at the ICF of Limassol and was arrested.
Investigators secured important evidence, which led them to the 24-year-old, as he is reportedly the last person to see the 31-year-old, having met with him on Thursday afternoon at his apartment in Limassol in order to resolve their differences. The 24-year-old was issued with an arrest warrant for the offence of kidnapping with intent to murder and arson of a car.
As "F" is validly informed, the investigators of the ICF Limassol allegedly possess testimonies that the 31-year-old was killed by the arrested man and, as the main suspect, as the two once good friends had many personal and financial differences.
He was reported for stealing €100,000
In the frame of the 31-year-old's disappearance has been put the incident of beating the 24-year-old hacker and the theft of €100,000 and a Rolex. As "F" had written, on the afternoon of March 14, 20203, the 24-year-old hacker made a complaint to the Kition Police Station.
He complained that earlier in the day he had a meeting with 31-year-old Pericles in Mazotos, who stole €100,000 in cash, a Rolex watch and three mobile phones. At the time, the 24-year-old had claimed that the attacker stole him, beat him, carried him on the highway and left him in the middle of the road.
Despite his complaint to the police, the 24-year-old a few days later withdrew the complaint against the 31-year-old. The two friends seem to have found each other, but only briefly, as after that there was another complaint by the 24-year-old against Pericles.
The €100,000 was part of the €200,000 the 24-year-old hacker extorted from a 43-year-old Russian businessman after agreeing to buy cryptocurrency. At the time, the 24-year-old was arrested and subsequently released on restrictive conditions pending the trial of the case before the Limassol Court. In fact, last Friday, the 24-year-old had gone to a Nicosia Police Station, where he was present. Subsequently, he remained missing until Sunday afternoon when he went to the Limassol Police Authority with his lawyer and surrendered. The 24-year-old interrogator refused to answer the investigators' questions and is expected to be brought before the Limassol District Court today for a request for his detention.
With a rich past the hacker
The 24-year-old is a well-known hacker, having caused an international sensation for about two years. It became known that being a minor he was a genius in using computers. He took advantage of his skills to extort huge sums of money from American companies. The 24-year-old was the first Cypriot citizen extradited to the US, where after admitting and returning sums he had fraudulently appropriated from Cyprus, where he was, he was sentenced to one year in prison, in spring 2021.
Investigations up to the Firing Range at Paliometocho
Under the microscope of investigators, closed circuit surveillance systems placed on premises in Limassol, Larnaca and Nicosia, in order to ascertain the route from the 31-year-old's apartment in Amathus to the Firing Range in Paliometocho, where the vehicle was found burnt, as well as who was driving it. The 31-year-old's disappearance was reported by his cohabitant on Friday morning, shortly after the vehicle was found burned. Tests revealed that the 31-year-old's mobile phone signal stopped transmitting on the same day at the height of Skarinou and has remained switched off since then. The investigators of the ICF Limassol are called upon to find answers to dozens of questions raised, as well as to the evidence found in the burnt vehicle. These are a shovel, cashma, clothes and duct tape, which were sent for scientific examinations. At the same time, they appear convinced that other people were involved in the 31-year-old's disappearance.
