Filenews 24 May 2023 - by Dora Christodoulou
Two persons were detained in Paphos for burglary with intent to steal, illegal possession of property and possession of burglary tools.
According to the spokesman of the Paphos Police Authority, Michalis Nicolaou, on Tuesday afternoon information was given to the Police that two people were in a supermarket in Paphos in a place and in a way that raised suspicions.
Members of the Pafos Police went to the scene and found two persons inside the building, while the door in the basement of the supermarket was breached. In the possession of those persons, aged 34 and 37, burglary tools were found, as well as other property reasonably suspected of being stolen.
The two persons were arrested and detained.
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Two persons were spotted by the Police at dawn today spray-painting various slogans on the walls of Paphos. The arrest of the two is the first to be made for the problem of malicious damage to public property, which has taken on significant dimensions recently, mainly after the completion of renovations in central areas of Pafos and the pollution of new works immediately afterwards with the use of sprays.
The spokesman of the Pafos Police Headquarters, Michalis Nicolaou, said that at four in the morning information was given to the Police that on Eleftheriou Venizelou Avenue there were young people spray-painting on walls. A patrol immediately went to the area and located two pedestrians who during the body search were found to be in possession of spray. They are a 21-year-old and a 17-year-old from Paphos.
The two young people pointed to some places where they had spray-painted and further tests revealed that they were fans of a particular team. They were taken to the Paphos police station, where the 21-year-old was charged in writing to be summoned later, while for the 17-year-old, who is a minor, his father was also summoned for further proceedings.
The extent of the problem with the destruction of public spaces by this action of young people had recently prompted the Pafos Municipality to appeal to young people to treat the city with love, protect it and keep it clean.
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Accused of drugging a minor for the purpose of sexually abusing her, he was brought before the Assize Court which remanded him in custody until his trial. On appeal, he complained about his detention as an undertrial, with the Supreme Court sealing the Assize Court's decision to release him in custody.
The Supreme Court, analyzing the testimony as submitted to the Court, notes that as it emerged from the witness material and her testimony, the minor complainant (approximately 16/<> years old at the time in question) describes the circumstances of the commission of the alleged offences, after she met by chance in a house with the appellant, the latter transferred her and two other girls to a hotel in Limassol. There the appellant made sure that the complainant was using drugs.
When the other two girls left the hotel room, the appellant, taking advantage of the fact that the complainant was under the influence of drugs, allegedly sexually abused her. Later, the appellant transferred the complainant and another girl to another hotel in Limassol. There, after making sure that the complainant was using drugs again, when he was left alone with her, he had intercourse with her despite her telling him to stop and that she did not want to and that she was in pain. The appellant stopped only when the complainant started shouting, so that they would not be heard. With regard to the cocaine used on two occasions by the complainant, according to her version, the appellant kept putting in her mouth the straw he used to use it, even when she did not want to.
The appellant denies all charges and the case was set for hearing on 22/6/2023. He faces charges of sexual abuse of a child using force and coercion and abusing the complainant's vulnerability which carry a prison sentence of up to life, as well as drug supply offences which also carry a life sentence.
"The Assize Court's guidance on how to assess the likelihood of conviction was correct. After referring to the relevant case-law, he approached the witness material before him on the basis of the principles derived from it. He rightly limited himself to the aspect of the witness material, without going into the gravity of the testimony and how far it could lead. The witness material at this stage is assessed on its face and only without conclusions and definitive answers to questions, in order for the Court to determine whether a conviction is probable without entering into issues of admissibility of the testimony or credibility of witnesses", the Supreme Court concludes in its rejection decision.
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A makeshift nursery for growing cannabis plants, in a home parking lot, was found yesterday by the Police, in the Famagusta district. The members of YKAN proceeded to the arrest of the two occupants of the house, as well as to the seizure of a quantity of cannabis, weighing approximately 700 grams.
Specifically, at around 4.30 p.m. yesterday, members of the YKAN (Famagusta District Unit) conducted a search at a house in the Famagusta district, where a man and a woman, aged 58, live. During the search of the house, a grinder with traces of cannabis, a precision scale and a small amount of cannabis were located and confiscated.
A makeshift cannabis cultivation nursery was found in the parking lot of the house, as well as a quantity of cannabis, weighing approximately 700 grams, which was confiscated. The equipment of the makeshift nursery was also confiscated.
The two occupants of the house were arrested for a flagrant offence and taken into custody to facilitate interrogations.
The YKAN (Famagusta District Unit) is investigating the case.
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"The 56 hours of video and 1,321 photographs found in appellant's possession do not involve fictional persons, or industry professionals, actors or consenting adults. They depict real and abused children under the age of 13."
This was emphasized by the Court of Appeal, rejecting an appeal convicted of child pornography seeking a reduction of his sentence, on the grounds that although he downloaded all these files but did not have time to see them, because the police caught up with him.
According to the decision, the files were located by the Police with a special program to monitor the trafficking and exchange of files of child pornographic material, on 2/2/2020. After following the investigation and procedure to identify the appellant as the owner/user of the identified IP Address, finally on 2/5/2020 his residence was searched pursuant to a court warrant and the above files of pornographic material were located. He appealed for a reduction in the sentence on the grounds that he had not seen the records as is the case in other cases.
"In the circumstances, we do not find the appellant's complaints well founded, nor do we accept the suggestion that the Assize Court failed to take into account the admission, personal circumstances, clean criminal record, young age and any mitigating factors raised. The Assize Court took into account mitigating factors, including admission.
We note, however, that the appellant was caught red-handed in the act without any real possibility of a substantive defence as to the possession of the material undoubtedly found in his possession. As to his personal circumstances, it is needless to stress once again that they are of secondary importance when the court is called upon to deal with a crime for which it should impose a dissuasive and therefore severe sentence." Following these findings, the sentence for the convicted person remained unchanged.
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Tears prevailed for a few minutes in the room of the Permanent Assize Court of Limassol, at the hearing of the five-year sentence, against a 25-year-old Greek Cypriot who was accused of importing, possessing and possessing with intent to supply 1 kg and 212.69 grams of cannabis. The defendant was found guilty after admitting to the above charges, with the Assize Court yesterday imposing several concurrent sentences, the longest being that of 5 years. The sentence was described as severe, with the 25-year-old's relatives breaking down in tears after the end of the proceedings.
It is apparent from the facts of the case that on 4 different dates and over a period of approximately 5 months, the defendant imported the disputed quantity of cannabis into Cyprus from Spain, the USA and the UK. The accused was acting for his own benefit and his plan was halted thanks to the actions and intervention of customs officers and YKAN.
Specifically, on 15/1/2023, two packages sent from the USA arrived at the Larnaka Airport Post Office with the final recipient being the 25-year-old. On 16/1/2023, two more packages also arrived at the above Airport office. One was sent from the US and the other from the UK, addressed to the same person. A few days later, a senior postal officer of the Limassol Post found that at the delivery addresses of the 4 packages, a house and an apartment building were under construction. This was considered suspicious and the officer recalled the 4 packages back to the Limassol Central Post Office for inspection.
On the same day, in the presence of YKAN, the packages were opened and it was found that in 3 there were 300 plastic cylindrical containers with manufactured cigarettes with a quantity of cannabis, while in the fourth package there was a quantity of cannabis. The packages were received by the Limassol YKAN and models were placed in them. On 30/1/2023 the accused went to the Post Office where he received the 4 packages. Upon leaving the scene, the 25-year-old was stopped and arrested by members of the Limassol YKAN, who were at the site.
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Pafos Live 24 May 2023
The Pafos ICF arrested a 43-year-old man for theft, illegal possession of property, theft, while the Police are looking for another person in the same case.
According to the spokesperson of the Pafos Police Authority and Head of the Pafos ICF, Michalis Nicolaou, on 23.5.23 Police were called to Kissonerga where they met a 62-year-old and a 43-year-old man.
The 62-year-old indicated to the members of the Paphos Police that 73 aluminium mould rails in the 43-year-old's possession were at the scene and had identified them as part of his property stolen from a field in Emba between the dates of May 21-23.
The theft involved 200 rails and the 73-year-old was allegedly in possession of 43. Under questioning, the 37-year-old said they had been sold to him by another person.
The 43-year-old was subsequently arrested for illegal possession of property and an arrest warrant has been issued against the 37-year-old who had sold them to him and who is wanted.
