Pafos Live 3 January 2024
Police arrested a 28-year-old Bulgarian man who was preparing to break into apartments in Kato Paphos. Citizens noticed the 28-year-old who had a backpack on his back and was wandering suspiciously in an area of an apartment complex.
Members of the Pafos police department who rushed to the scene intercepted the Bulgarian and gloves, a lantern and burglar tools were found in the backpack.
* * * * * *
The Christmas tree of the municipality of Pafos in the central square of Kennedy was destroyed at dawn by fire. The fire was extinguished by the fire department, which received a call about the fire about 15 minutes after 3 a.m.
It is not yet clear whether this was a malicious act or whether the fire was caused by a short circuit. Officials from the electromechanical service, fire brigade and police are expected to conduct tests in broad daylight while the scene is guarded by police.
* * * * * *
Pafos Press 3 January 2024
In the three days until Sunday, the Paphos Police proceeded to report nine properties for committing offenses related to the Alcoholic Beverages Law and the suppression of the phenomenon of noise pollution, according to the Assistant Police Director of Paphos Operations Michalis Nikolaou.
In his statements, Mr. Nikolaou in one case out of nine in a recreation center located in the area of Agios Antonios on December 30, members of the Paphos Crime Prevention Ulam by virtue of a judicial search warrant, searched and confiscated from the property in question four large loudspeakers and a sound mixer which broadcast music in the presence of the manager aged 32 years permanent resident of Cyprus.
The case is being investigated by the Paphos Central Police Station and concerns audio broadcasting without a permit from the Municipality of Paphos.
* * * * * *
The 44-year-old driver of the double-cab vehicle involved in the horrific fatal accident that claimed the lives of four of our fellow citizens, half an hour after midnight on New Year's Day, is being brought before the Court today.
The 44-year-old is being investigated for causing death by a thoughtless, reckless or dangerous act and for violating the red light.
At the same time, the Police's examinations continue, in whose microscope there is a closed circuit surveillance from an adjacent gas station, which records the moment of the collision.
As RIK's correspondent, Sotiroulla Christofidou, reported, from the first tests, it appears that the colour at the traffic light was orange, even before the minivan was seen on camera, which implies that the driver ran a red light. In fact, no signs of braking were detected on the 44-year-old's vehicle, which, combined with the increased speed of the vehicle, means there was no time to stop.
In the coming days, a re-enactment of the accident is expected.
* * * * * *
Filenews
Police made three arrests yesterday, in Nicosia and Limassol, to facilitate investigations into offences in violation of the Law on Violence in Sports Venues. At the same time, in an incident reported after the end of the football match in Limassol, one person was injured.
After the end of the match in Limassol, between the teams of APOLLON and APOEL, during the departure of the fans from the stadium, a portion of fans of one team allegedly attacked the fans of the other team, throwing objects at them.
To restore order, members of the MMAD immediately intervened, causing the attackers to be removed. During the intervention of the police, a 22-year-old resident of Nicosia was stopped and arrested for flagrant offenses. The offences of using an object that can be used as an offensive weapon and concealing a face with a hood are being investigated against him.
The 22-year-old was detained to facilitate interrogations, while the case is being investigated by the Episkopi Police Station.
Around 10pm yesterday, information was received by the Police that a 15-year-old resident of Limassol was transported injured to a private clinic in Limassol.
Members of the Police went to the clinic, where they located the 15-year-old, who allegedly told the police that during his departure from the ALPHAMEGA stadium, after the end of the match APOLLON – APOEL, along with his 17-year-old friend, they were attacked by a group of seven masked men, who bore insignia of the opposing team. The attackers allegedly beat the two youths with punches, kicks and a bat.
Medical tests found that the 15-year-old had bruises and abrasions on his head and neck and was detained for treatment at the clinic as a precaution. The 17-year-old was not injured.
The case is being investigated by the Episkopi Police Station.
In Nicosia, at the start of the match OMONOIA – AEL, two persons wearing hoods were spotted throwing firecrackers in the stands of GSP Stadium. The two were called to the police office at the stadium, where it was determined that they were two 19-year-olds. In their possession, after a search, another nine firecrackers were found.
The two 19-year-olds were arrested for flagrant offences and taken into custody, while later today they are expected to appear before a court to register a case against them.
The case is being investigated by the Strovolos Police Station.
* * * * * *
According to all indications, the fire was maliciously set in a large warehouse in Agios Dometios, which contained a large number of boats.
As the officer of the Press Office of the Fire Brigade Koulla Messaritou told us, from the prima facie investigation of the causes of the fire, which broke out at noon and was extinguished two and a half hours later, it seems that it was caused maliciously.
The warehouse was closed and no one worked or lived in it, while it has been abandoned in recent years.
Findings that point to malicious action have been identified from the scene, which is why the case will be investigated by the Police in cooperation with the Fire Service, Ms. Messaritou stressed.
The flames have destroyed a large number of boats of unknown value so far.
* * * * * *
At five came the complaints that police are investigating about the childminder who cared for babies at home without permission.
The parents of four infants gave statements to the ICF of Nicosia, who complained that while they handed over their children to the childminder on various dates, when they received them, they bore marks on their faces.
At the same time, according to philenews, the father of one infant, in addition to reporting the possibility of abuse, also made a complaint about an alleged threat he received from the childminder not to proceed with a complaint.
All four cases of children are being investigated by a special team set up at the ICF Nicosia and are at an advanced stage. In fact, as we were told, the childminder will soon be called to the Police to give her version of what the parents are reporting.
The files of all cases will then be forwarded to the Legal Service for study and instructions. Although these are difficult cases to prove, however, as we have been told, the repeated detection of marks in a number of children gives rise to reasonable suspicion.
In this regard, the positions of the doctors who examined the children as well as the position of their own caregiver are of great importance.
What is certain is that the woman was looking after babies without permission from the Social Welfare Services to which she had applied with an application, which was finally rejected almost two years later.
* * * * * *
Cyprus Police
He was arrested for illegal possession of explosives and carrying an offensive weapon Yesterday, the Pafos District Court issued an order of exclusion from sports venues for six months against a 20-year-old man, who was found guilty of offenses in violation of the Law on violence in sports venues. The Court also imposed on the 20-year-old a fine of €1,500. The 20-year-old was arrested on December 17, 2023, pursuant to a court warrant. Testimony had emerged against him that he was involved in the throwing of fireworks, before the start of the football match between the teams Paphos FC - APOEL, which was held on the same day in Paphos.
The Paphos TAE is investigating the case.
* * * * * *
Cyprus Mail 2/1
The Cypriot appeals court has upheld the eight-year sentence of a 36-year-old man who raped a 20-year-old British waitress in Ayia Napa in 2019, it emerged on Tuesday.
A criminal court had found that he had raped the waitress, who had arrived in Cyprus a month before, after he had driven her to a secluded spot and given her cannabis and laughing gas.
According to the court decision, the now-24-year-old woman, who has not been identified, knew the then-32-year-old man as someone who worked in the nearby area.
She got into his car after he approached her on June 26, 2019, as she was looking to consume laughing gas, and trusted him and felt safe, while she never had the intention or expectation of having sex with him.
As they drove, the man pulled out some cannabis, and she realised he was driving to an unknown spot.
She texted her location to her friend when they stopped in an area in Sotira, near Ayia Napa, as she was afraid.
After consuming laughing gas and cannabis, she asked to be taken back to her flat, but as she tried to leave, the man grabbed her. She told the court that she was terrified and did not know what would happen to her if she fought back.
Following the rape, the man dropped her off at her flat, where her roommate found her upset. The roommate described that the woman was crying and dishevelled, and she didn’t speak for a long time.
The court issued an eight-year-prison sentence, which the man then appealed.
The attacker, identified in local media only as IK, claimed that he did not get a fair trial, as he was given a bad translator.
But the Court of Appeal ruled that this issue was fixed during his initial trial, and that he was an unreliable witness, saying his testimony ‘contained many contradictions, indeterminacy, evasions, and lies.’
He also claimed that she had in fact consented, which the judges rejected, saying: at no stage of the process did [the waitress] accept the perpetrator’s position that with her body language, she invited him to follow her, nor did she accept at any stage of the testimony that, while in his car, she had her legs open or that she fondled IK’s leg or that she used her tongue sexually.
