Pafos Live 16 October 2024
Nine Georgians who were working illegally in hotels in Paphos were arrested today by members of the Paphos Police Force.
All will be deported after their residence permit in the republic has expired.
* * * * * *
Filenews
A 41-year-old man was fined €2,000 for failing to comply with a gamekeeper's badge on Tuesday, while he was also charged in writing with illegal possession and transport of explosives in a village in the Paphos district.
According to Pafos Assistant Police Director of Operations, Michalis Nicolaou, around 08:00 yesterday in old Theletra members of the Service and Fauna signalled the driver of a vehicle to stop, but he did not do so initially. However, he then stopped and his vehicle was checked.
During the search of the 41-year-old driver's possession, Nicolaou said, 149 full flaubert rounds were found.
An extrajudicial fine of €2,000 was issued against the 41-year-old for failing to stop at a gamekeeper's signal, while regarding the 149 full cartridges, he was charged in writing by the Police with the offense of illegal possession and transport of explosives and will be prosecuted.
* * * * * *
The YKAN was fully mobilized in Limassol following information that a person wanted to transport a large quantity of drugs. The driver was pursued in the area of Trachoni, collided with a vehicle of YKAN Limassol and fled.
The chase was eventful, resulting in one of the vehicles involved overturning. During the chase, the driver entered an area of the British Bases and before stopping his vehicle, threw a quantity of drugs in excess of 10 kg.
The suspect then fled in an unknown direction. Members of the Limassol YKAN are currently at the scene for on-site examinations and investigations.
* * * * * *
A new racist attack against a food distributor was recorded last night in Limassol. This is the fourth attack in a few days that has taken place in the city and concerns food distributors, causing concern and concern to the police authorities.
The 40-year-old delivery man from India contacted Filenews in what he says is an attempt to force authorities to take measures to protect them after he claimed it was a racist attack. The victim-complainant sent a photograph of himself, which we publish with his consent.
According to what he describes on our website, the attack took place around 20:30 tonight, in an area of Germasogeia, where he had gone to deliver a food order.
"I was riding my bike and more than 10 people stopped me. They hit me on the back and I fell down while being kicked in the ribs. They told me "p.... black" and also to "go back to my country". They tried to steal my bike and my money. When I got up, they ran towards the park, but they managed to steal my helmet."
Among other things, the complainant claims that: "I went to the Germasogeia police station and a policewoman started yelling at me instead of helping me. They gave me a paper to go to the General Hospital and ICF. No police officers were interested in going to the scene, they were just talking to each other and laughing, except for one policeman."
According to the 40-year-old Indian, he went to the ICF, where he was told that he would first have to be transferred to Limassol General Hospital to be examined by doctors and then a statement would be taken. "I need your help to wake up the police and the whole system to help us against the racist attacks that food delivery people have been receiving lately."
He also claimed that his eye is completely swollen and he cannot open it. "I hope the system wakes up against racism."
Filenews contacted the Police, where we were told that the person in question was in the Hospital (22:40 last night) and will then be interviewed.
* * * * * *
There is no end to the attacks against distributors in Limassol, with one recorded after the other, causing headaches for the authorities. In addition to the attack yesterday on a 40-year-old man from India, which he denounced on the website, another was recorded in the area of Agios Tychonas.
Specifically, around 21:30 last night, a food delivery man reported that he was attacked while riding his electric bike in Agios Tychonas. Three people on a motorcycle approached him and one kicked him, the other pushed him, while the third stole two mobile phones.
Fortunately, the delivery man was not injured in the attack, but lost his mobile phones.
For its part, the Police note that from September 1 until yesterday, 15/10, ten arrests were made in robbery cases. In fact, yesterday a 16-year-old was arrested for the previous robbery against a food distributor, committed on Saturday night in the area of Ekali.
* * * * * *
The Larnaca District Court found two unaccompanied 17-year-old minors from Syria guilty of arson at the Henipa Hotel, which operated as a facility last summer. A third 17-year-old was acquitted of the charges he faced.
The defendants faced three charges, 2 counts of arson and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony. The first, represented by lawyer Christos Fellas, was acquitted of all charges he faces. The second 17-year-old was found guilty of the first arson at the hotel, in which mattresses were burned. The third defendant was found guilty of conspiracy to commit a felony and the first arson, while he was acquitted by the second, which caused extensive damage to the hotel.
The Court will impose a sentence on the two defendants, found guilty, on October 24, 2024. The proceedings for the three minors shall be held in camera.
The offences in question were committed on June 5 at the Henipa Hotel in Oroklini, which operated as a facility hosting around 70 unaccompanied minors. Initially, a fire broke out in a mattress which was extinguished, and then a second fire broke out which caused great damage to the second floor of the hotel, as well as to common areas on the third floor. It is recalled that after this incident it was decided to close the facility and the minors were transferred to others throughout Cyprus.
* * * * * *
An outrageous case of sexual abuse of female students in Limassol against a 59-year-old chemistry teacher has ended with his conviction. This is a case that came to light after the complaints of the students, shortly before the advent of 2022. The case shocked Cypriot society, highlighting serious issues regarding the educational community and the people who stood by the students.
The Limassol Permanent Assize Court today imposed concurrent prison sentences of 4.5 years on the defendant, who was found guilty by his own admission. The accused chemistry teacher was facing 15 charges relating to offences of sexual exploitation of a child under 15, sexual abuse of a child under 15 and sexual harassment of a child.
The 59-year-old defendant had been reported by 9 of his students, who were then attending the second grade of Gymnasium. In fact, the offences were committed during the lesson.
As our website previously wrote, the first complaint was made by a student on November 11, 2022, who initially confided in a specific person what was happening in class and during class. This was followed by other complaints from female students of the same class and other classes. From the complaints and based on the witness material, a case was established for 9 victims-students, who in their statements described various incidents that mainly involved touching (all offences involving minors are included under the term sexual abuse under the law) by the accused.
* * * * * *
In the context of investigating cases of burglaries and thefts committed in the areas of Ayia Napa and Paralimni, the Police proceeded yesterday to arrest three young persons.
They are two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old, who were arrested on court warrants and taken into custody.
Questioned in voluntary statements, the three arrested appear to have admitted to committing eight cases of burglary and theft, committed between the dates 8/09/2024 to 11/10/2024.
The ICF of Famagusta continues the examinations.
* * * * * *
Serious involvement in the case of the bomb explosion, which occurred in the early morning of October 3 in the vehicle of a 78-year-old man, which was parked outside his home in Agios Athanasios, seems to have the 32-year-old suspect who was arrested this morning by members of the ICF of Limassol.
The 32-year-old appeared at noon before the Limassol District Court, which approved the detention request of the ICF Limassol and ordered his detention for a period of eight days. His lawyer, Ioanna Kalli, did not object to the police's request.
According to information provided by Filenews, from the examinations carried out on the bomb case, the movements of the two perpetrators on a large displacement motorcycle were recorded by closed circuit surveillance. Specifically, in the area of Germasogeia, around 2 a.m. on October 3, a van was parked. After the doors opened, a motorcycle departed, a description similar to the one captured by cameras at the scene where the bomb exploded.
Subsequently, CCTV footage recorded the passenger getting off the motorcycle and placing the explosive device in the front of the vehicle.
A few minutes later, the motorcycle is recorded in the same place where the van was parked, where the doors opened and was placed in it.
CCTV recorded the movements of the motorcycle in question. Further examination revealed that the vehicle belonged to the suspect. Another criminal case is pending against the suspect for a robbery offence. The day before yesterday, the suspect went to the Episkopi Police Station to sign the terms, but made the mistake of going with the van in question.
It should be noted that the suspect was arrested this morning for the offences of conspiracy, attempted destruction with explosives and illegal possession and transport of explosives. A search of his home followed, where two pistols and two magazines with 26 rounds of ammunition, two military rifle magazines, 62 hunting cartridges and 25 full rounds for 9 mm were found in a plastic box inside a room on the ground floor. Six mobile phones were also found in the suspect's possession. which are expected to be examined to determine whether they were used to send threatening messages in connection with the bomb case.
At another point, two motorcycle helmets were found, which were received as evidence, while in a fenced area and inside a container, a black motorcycle with orange details was located and received, which is identical to the one used to transport the two perpetrators.
12 boxes of fireworks were found in the container.
Offences relating to possession and transport of a firearm and ammunition are also being investigated against the suspect.
* * * * * *
Again in the cell is a 35-year-old from Larnaka, who had been chased twice by the police and finally arrested with a 27-year-old earlier this year in a hotel room.
The 35-year-old, who was accused of shooting at a gas station while heavily pregnant, was recently sentenced by the Larnaka court to three years suspended imprisonment for a string of burglaries and thefts. However, despite the leniency of the Court, due to her personal circumstances, it seems that she has resumed the same activities, since on Tuesday afternoon she was arrested along with a 35-year-old man on suspicion of theft and arson of a car in Tersephanou. The 35-year-old, according to Filenews, had previously been convicted and served prison sentences for theft and burglary.
The two are allegedly related to a fire that broke out shortly before 4 p.m. last Saturday in a vehicle parked in a parking lot of an apartment building in Tersephanou. Members of the Fire Brigade extinguished the fire, which completely destroyed the car. The examinations that followed, according to the police, revealed evidence against the 35-year-olds for causing the fire, while against the suspect also emerged evidence for the theft of the specific car. The suspects were brought before the Larnaca District Court today, which ordered their five-day detention.
The 35-year-old was also arrested last January in a hotel room with a 27-year-old man for a string of thefts and burglaries.
The first complaint against them was made on November 15, 2023 when a petrol station owner on the Larnaka-Dhekelia road reported that the two suspects argued with an employee, with the 35-year-old, who was then heavily pregnant, firing a shot into the air with a pistol.
In December, a complaint was made implicating the suspect in a kiosk burglary, while a few days later the Police received information that the 35-year-old along with the 27-year-old met in an area of Larnaka with marked persons and that there was an exchange of threats and pistols were issued. In order not to be arrested, the 35-year-old was staying in her vehicle and in the early morning of January 16 she was seen driving it in Livadia, Larnaka.
There she was pursued and despite many shots fired by members of the Police, she developed dizzying speed and disappeared. The next day, the owner of a car repair company in Athienou reported the theft of a jeep car from his premises.
The vehicle was spotted outside a well-known hotel in Larnaca, where the suspects were staying, and led to their arrest. In the hotel room were then found sums of money, electronic devices, watches, jewellery, tobacco products, clothes and other items. Quantities of hard drugs, such as crystal methamphetamine, were also found at the site.
