Cyprus Mail 8 August 2024
The police on Thursday announced they had seized various quantities of cannabis-based products from shops in Paphos earlier in the week.
A total of two shops were raided, with police finding a total of 71 packages of products which they believe contain cannabis or cannabis resin, as well as 49 products which are believed to contain cannabidiol (CBD), and 19 packages which are believed to contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
In the second shop, police found eight packages believed to contain cannabis or cannabis resin, as well as another four packages of products believed to contain CBD.
All the products found were seized and will later be tested for their content.
The raids took place after an interdepartmental investigation was carried out by various sub-departments in the police and the health ministry.
The police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.
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Pafos Live
The Pafos Permanent Assize Court announced yesterday its decision on the sentence of four Syrians in the case of the murder of a compatriot on the coast of Vrexi. They were found guilty after a lengthy court hearing on charges of kidnapping for grievous bodily harm, interference with a court proceeding, destruction of evidence and conspiracy. Concurrent prison sentences of 2 years, 1 year and 6 months were imposed. The sentence of 2 years will be served immediately and will be reduced during the time the defendants were under trial, i.e. from 08/05/20 to 25/11/20 and 23/07/24 until yesterday.
The Assize Court, consisting of Mr. M. Droussiotis President, Mr. P. Kyriakides and Mr. Ch. H'Georgiou, Associate Judges, stated in its decision, which was unanimous, that it took into account the seriousness of the offenses, the facts of the case as presented by the Lawyer of the Republic A' Mr. Andreas Ch'Kyrou, who handled the case during the hearing, and the speeches of the defense lawyers of the defendants, Mr. Christou Demetriou for the second defendant, Mrs. Katerina Sophocleous for defendant 3, criminal lawyer Dr. Artemis Savvidou for defendant 7, Mrs. Myria Savvidou for defendant 8. He concluded, he said, with a prison sentence as the only appropriate sentence for the accused. He counted all mitigating factors in the amount and not in the type of sentence, i.e. the absence of the criminal record of the accused, their conduct after the commission of the offense to date that shows that they are not prone to crime, the more than 4 years that have elapsed since the commission of the offenses and the change in the personal circumstances of all the defendants who from young persons are today family men with children, equality with defendants whose prosecution has been suspended for justified reasons.
The Assize Court considered the lawyers' request for a suspended prison sentence but ruled that it could not be accepted.
The Assize Court also noted that there was no direct relevant case law on the matter, especially kidnapping, since in the decisions of the jurisprudence so far, the abduction was linked to homicide or other offences, which did not exist in the present case. In the present case, the defendants were acquitted of the charge of murder.
It is recalled that for the same murder committed on April 10, 2020 at Vrexi beach in Chloraka with the victim of Jamal Alhaji, two other persons who were initially wanted and had fled to the occupied areas but were located and pleaded guilty. They had been convicted in another case for the offences of murder and kidnapping.
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Pafos Press
The Customs Department, with the assistance of the Police and specifically the Paphos District Police Directorate, proceeded in the previous days to confiscate duty-free tobacco products that were illegally transported from the occupied to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the vehicles used to transport them. .
According to an announcement by the Customs Department, in particular on August 4, 2024 officials of the Paphos Customs Department were notified by the Paphos District Police Directorate that after a search of the vehicle of a driver of Bulgarian origin, a quantity of tobacco products was found.
During the inspection of the vehicle, 10 boxes of 200 cigarettes each and 500 grams of tobacco for rolling cigarettes were found and confiscated, which did not have the markings about the harmful effects of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, nor the security feature and the unique code traceability, evidence that they were duty free.
The driver was arrested for a self-inflicted crime, while the vehicle was confiscated as a means of transporting the tobacco products. He was later released, after paying an amount of €800 for the out-of-court settlement of the crime, while the vehicle was returned to him with the payment of an additional amount of €300.
Subsequently, as reported, on August 7, 2024, officers of the Paphos Customs Department were notified by the Paphos District Police Department that, following a search of the driver's vehicle (of Syrian origin), a quantity of tobacco products was found.
During the inspection of the vehicle, 7 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, 750 grams of rolling tobacco and 500 grams of hookah tobacco were found and confiscated, which did not bear the marking on the harmfulness of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, but neither did the security feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty free.
The driver was arrested for a self-inflicted crime, while the vehicle was confiscated as a means of transporting the tobacco products. He was later released, after paying a sum of €1,500 for the out-of-court settlement of the offence, while the vehicle was returned to him with the payment of an additional sum of €500, as reported.
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The Paphos Police arrested a 26-year-old person in order to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of illegal possession of narcotics.
According to the Police, yesterday around 21:00 members of the Paphos Crime Prevention Squad who were on patrol in the area of Thalassinos Spilii in Pegeia spotted and stopped a pedestrian for a check.
In a physical search conducted on him, he told the KYPE, Mr. Nikolaou was found to be in possession of cannabis. He was arrested for a self-inflicted crime.
Subsequently, the 26-year-old was taken to the YCAN Offices and interrogated. He confessed, according to the Police, that the drugs were for his own use, he was charged in writing and released.
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Filenews
Police arrested a 46-year-old resident of a village in the Famagusta district to facilitate investigations into an ongoing case of injury, carrying weapons to incite terror and acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm.
The case was reported to the police yesterday afternoon by a 41-year-old resident of a village in the Famagusta district. According to the complainant, around 12.30pm. Yesterday, while in a café in his village, he was attacked by the 46-year-old, who allegedly injured him with a knife.
After the attack, the 41-year-old went to Larnaka General Hospital, where he was found to have sharp object injuries to his ear, shoulder and forearm. After receiving first aid, the 41-year-old was discharged.
A judicial arrest warrant was issued against the 46-year-old, under which he was arrested last night and taken into custody to facilitate interrogations.
The Famagusta ICF is investigating the case.
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For eight kilometers a 33-year-old woman was driving on the Limassol-Nicosia motorway in oncoming traffic drunk, as a result of which she collided with a vehicle that was coming normally and killed a 26-year-old from Pakistan.
For this behaviour, a 33-year-old from Russia was recently sentenced by the Limassol District Court to two and a half years in prison. The fatal traffic accident occurred on 30/10/2021 at 1.30 in the morning, when the vehicle of the foreigner collided head-on at the height of the Monastery, with that of Ahsan Saeed from Pakistan. The Russian woman admitted four charges, the most serious being causing death by reckless or dangerous act.
In her decision, district judge Doria Varosiotou referred to the serious dimensions of fatal accidents in our country and the need for drivers to comply with the code of road conduct, facts that have been the subject of comments in many decisions of the Supreme Court.
In the present case, he pointed out, it was an aggravating factor for the defendant to choose to drive when she had consumed a very large amount of alcohol (three times the limit). "This action is extremely serious given her manifest disregard for the safety of herself and other people using the road." Driving under the influence of alcohol, he observed, "significantly affects the ability to drive, control the vehicle, the judgment and reflexes of a driver, so the risk of harm to the driver himself and third parties is possible and foreseeable. Unfortunately, in the present case the risk did not remain potential but was transformed into action with the well-known tragic consequences."
The judgment also emphasizes that in the present case, the manner in which the defendant drove the vehicle related to the other charges which she also admitted proved without any doubt the impaired ability to drive due to the large amount of alcohol she consumed.
"I consider it very serious that the defendant was travelling for 8 kilometres in the opposite lane on a motorway. This action by the defendant was reckless and dangerous. The defence lawyer's suggestion that the 250-metre visibility between the drivers involved enabled the victim to manoeuvre and avoid a collision is certainly not accepted. It was clearly not expected of the victim, at that agonizing moment when he saw the defendant's vehicle moving against its own path of traffic, to react or to make any manoeuvring moves to avoid a collision," the judge found.
In mitigating the sentence, the Court attached particular importance to the fact that the defendant, gripped by remorse, twice attempted to end her life. I also have in mind that the defendant is prescribed an increased dosage of medication and antidepressant treatment in an attempt to suppress her self-destructive tendencies. I take note that a sentence of immediate imprisonment will cause her further mental distress. The above seen in relation to the difficult childhood she experienced, the traumatic experiences she lived and her personal circumstances which I have measured for her benefit. I also take note that despite the difficulties she faced, the defendant has only recently married and with the support of her husband is trying to balance herself. In addition, I have in mind that as a result of her driving behaviour the defendant has suffered serious bodily injuries," said the judge who handed the 33-year-old a prison sentence of 2 1/2 years and 10 penalty points.
He also instructed that the defendant receive appropriate medical care and psychological support while in prison.
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A court recently sentenced a woman to one week in prison for disobeying a decree, but served that minimum sentence in two instalments. In fact, in the second, she stayed in the Central Prison for only 24 hours.
The prison was issued by the Registry, signed by the judge and the police transferred her to a detention center at a police station. She remained there for six days and had one day left before she was released.
Instead of allowing her to serve her short sentence in police detention cells as usual due to congestion in the Central Prisons (currently about 100 people are held in police detention cells due to lack of prison space), some decided, in their wisdom, on the last day to transfer her to prison.
In fact, the prisons were obliged to initiate the procedure provided for in the protocols, regardless of whether her stay would last a day.
That is, they passed her through a questionnaire to determine whether she has suicidal tendencies, if she suffers from diseases, etc. Lawyers question why the woman had to be held overnight in Central Prison.
At the same time, in another recent case, a citizen was sentenced to two months in prison for a non-serious offense, which raises questions about the appropriateness of the sentence since it cannot have a deterrent effect.
It is noted that a few days ago a 33-year-old man who was sentenced to a month in prison, died suddenly in prison of heart failure. As reported in Filenews, there are people who cannot accept the fact that they ended up in prison even for a few days, due to the stigma and cannot stand the psychological pressure. Lawyers who go in and out of prison because of their clients wonder what kind of justice will be served if someone for non-serious misconduct is sentenced to one or two months in prison, when there are other alternatives to imprisonment.
Lawyers stress the need to reintroduce alternative penalties to imprisonment for non-serious offences. The issue had been tried to bring to Parliament by the former Minister of Justice Emily Yiolitis, however, there were disagreements and reactions mainly on the part of the Bar Association and it did not proceed.
Since then it has been put on hold and although it is raised every time the problem of overcrowding in prisons is discussed that it would help alleviate it, however, it remains on hold, resulting in people being sent to Central Prisons when they could offer community work, confinement with an electronic bracelet or even the right to redeem the sentence.
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A 27-year-old man from Moldova who a few hours before leaving Cyprus, turned the road into a formula race track, was not spared. After his arrest in the early hours of Monday, he was brought before the Limassol District Court where a case was registered against him.
The court ordered his detention, with the defendant denying the charge of speeding and specifically that he was spotted driving at 192 km on a road where the limit is 80 km.
The 27-year-old had come to Cyprus for holidays and rented a vehicle, however, a few hours before his departure from our country, he was spotted running at breakneck speed putting other drivers in immediate danger.
Today the Limassol Court imposed an immediate one-month prison sentence on the 27-year-old on charges of speeding.
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The Famagusta District Court imposed prison sentences ranging from 12 months to 4 years on four persons, following the trial of similar cases, concerning offences related to the transport of a number of third-country nationals by sea vessels to the Famagusta area in February, March and April.
On Tuesday, August 6, the Famagusta District Court imposed a 4-year prison sentence on a 33-year-old man for the offence of facilitating the illegal entry of third-country nationals into the territory of the Republic, as well as for an offence in relation to the legislation on prohibited migrants. The case concerned the arrival of 97 irregular migrants, by sea boat, in the area of free Famagusta on April 1, including the 33-year-old, who was arrested by members of the Police after evidence emerged of the commission of the offences.
On Thursday, the Famagusta District Court "handed down prison sentences of 12 months, 24 months and 30 months respectively to three men, aged 20, 27 and 42 years".
Specifically, the two persons, aged 20 and 27, "were found guilty of committing the offenses of assisting a prohibited immigrant to enter the Republic, entering the Republic without permission and for an offense in relation to the legislation on prohibited immigrants."
The 20-year-old was found guilty in connection with a case involving the arrival of 21 irregular migrants, by sea boat, in the area of free Famagusta on 09 February, while the 27-year-old was found guilty in connection with a case involving the arrival of 22 irregular migrants, by sea boat, in the area of free Famagusta on 11 March. Among the 43 migrants in total, there were two specific persons who were arrested by members of the police."
"In relation to a case concerning the arrival of 104 irregular migrants, by sea boat, in the area of free Famagusta, on February 11, the 42-year-old man, who was among the 104 irregular migrants, was found guilty of committing the offences of facilitating the illegal entry of third-country nationals into the territory of the Republic, and assisting or assisting a prohibited migrant to enter the Republic."
It is noted that the four cases had been investigated by the Famagusta ICF.
CNA
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Cy Mail 9 August
The customs department on Friday announced it had seized more than 3,000 counterfeit products, including football shirts and other items, from three shops in Ayia Napa.
The other items included bags, belts, mobile phone cases, perfumes and underwear, and bore the names of well-known brands including Adidas, Puma, Nike and Ralph Lauren.
The shops’ owners admitted to their crimes and were fined a total of €4,280 between them, while also being charged €320 in total for the items’ destruction.
The customs department implored the public to “be particularly careful when purchasing products”, as there are “thousands of products on the market which are not authentic”.
It added that counterfeit products “do not meet the specifications of the products in relation to the brand they are copying”.
Such products are “produced through unethical processes and the forced labour of young children” and “dangerous or harmful to human health and safety with some of them even causing death,” it added.
In addition, they said, “revenues from the counterfeit trade are in most cases used to finance organised crime and terrorism.”
