Filenews 28 March 2025
Two suspects are expected to be brought before the Limassol District Court today, Friday, in connection with the case of burglary and malicious damage to a primary school in Polemidia, which occurred on the evening of March 27, 2025 in Limassol.
Members of the Nicosia Crime Prevention Unit (OPE) today conducted a coordinated operation in the Nicosia district, as part of the efforts to locate and confiscate duty-free products.
During the operation, members of the Police stopped two vehicles in an area of Nicosia, where from the investigation that followed, 32 cylinders of air conditioner gas were found in the first vehicle.
The Latsia Police Station continues the examinations.
* * * * * *
The Police are investigating a case concerning the offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, circulation of a forged document, extortion of property by false representations and assisting the illegal entry, transit and stay in the Republic, which were committed between November 2024 and March 2025.
According to the complaint submitted to the Limassol Crime Detection Department (TAE), a 33-year-old woman paid a total amount of €12,000, in order to settle her illegal transfer from abroad to Cyprus.
Among the people to whom she paid money is a 50-year-old man who allegedly showed her fake passports from another European country, attempting to convince her that, at a later stage, she could travel to a specific European country.
A court arrest warrant was issued against the 50-year-old, on the basis of which he was arrested shortly after midnight and taken into custody.
The TAE Limassol continues its examinations.
Update - Until Monday, the 50-year-old suspect from Persia, who was arrested for a case involving the deception of a 33-year-old woman, from which he extracted €12,000, will remain in custody.
He is charged with the offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, circulation of a forged document, extortion of property by false representations and assisting the illegal entry, transit and stay in the Republic. The offences were allegedly committed between November 2024 and March 2025.
Although the investigators of the Limassol TAE brought the suspect before the Limassol District Court on Friday morning with a request for detention, the procedure did not proceed, as the 50-year-old presented himself with a lawyer and submitted a request for legal aid. The Court ruled that a report should first be prepared by the Welfare Office for the suspect and then presented again on Monday, in order to carry out the procedure of his detention, based on the request of the Limassol TAE.
The suspect agreed to remain in custody until then.
It is recalled that, according to the complaint submitted to the Limassol Crime Detection Department (TAE), a 33-year-old woman paid a total amount of money of €12,000, in order to settle her illegal transfer from abroad to Cyprus.
Among the people to whom she paid money was a 50-year-old man, who allegedly showed her fake passports from another European country, attempting to convince her that, at a later stage, she could travel to a specific European country.
A court arrest warrant was issued against the 50-year-old, on the basis of which he was arrested shortly after midnight and taken into custody.
The Limassol TAE continues its investigations.
* * * * * *
The arrest of a 46-year-old man, who was found traveling on a bicycle in an area of Limassol, was made this morning by members of the Police.
During the check, seven screwdrivers and various other burglary tools were found in his possession.
In addition, it was found that he was in possession of a folding knife, as well as a large quantity of jewellery, for which he was unable to give satisfactory explanations as to their origin.
The 46-year-old was arrested for a flagrant offense and was detained.
The Limassol Crime Detection Department (TAE) continues its examinations.
* * * * * *
On April 7, the 49-year-old Swede who escaped on December 22 from a private clinic in Larnaca, leaving the Police exposed, will hear his sentence. During today's proceedings before the Permanent Assize Court of Larnaca, the facts of the case were heard, with the Swede's lawyers arguing for a mitigation of his sentence.
Regarding the facts of the case, the spokesperson of the Prosecution, Elena Cleridou, said that the accused was arrested at one o'clock in the afternoon on December 6, when he appeared at Larnaca airport to depart for Bahrain. When it was found that an arrest warrant was pending against him by the Swedish authorities, he was arrested and detained. He then appeared before a court and the extradition process began.
On December 9, the 49-year-old reported that he did not feel well and was transferred to a clinic, where it was found that he had acute gastroenteritis, and then transferred to another clinic.
On December 22, he removed the bed railing and escaped from the clinic by jumping out of the window. The next day, he was found hiding in an apartment building under construction in Larnaca and was arrested. During the interrogation, he pleaded guilty, stating, according to what was heard in court, that he did not want to return to Sweden because of the cold weather and because of the fear of people with whom he had financial differences.
This was followed by the speech of the Swede's lawyers, Rikkos Mappouridis and Antonis Vafeas, for the mitigation of his sentence. The lawyers submitted a written speech with Mr. Mappouridis referring to the importance of his client's immediate admission. "It is our suggestion that he acted in a state of panic, due to his state of health, leading to an inexpensive plan, which he regretted. He expresses his apology, which is also evident from his admission."
The lawyer and the policeman's lawyer, Kypros Andreou, expressed reservations about the speech, stating that he may be photographing his clients, a position that the court rejected. The Assize Court said it will announce his sentence on April 7, while for the other two, who plead not guilty, the hearing of the case will begin on June 23.
It is recalled that in the previous trial it was announced that the Swede will be used in the much-publicized trial as a prosecution witness against his 54-year-old former lawyer and the 44-year-old police officer, who allegedly helped him.
It is noted that, according to what has been reported so far in court, the lawyer allegedly asked the Swede to marry in order to have relations with the Republic of Cyprus and handed him a mobile phone, chargers, sneakers, a handcuff key, as well as a map with a meeting point after the escape. For his part, the 44-year-old policeman is alleged to be the person who bought the mobile phone cards that were handed over to the prisoner, as well as the shoes he wore during the escape.
* * * * * *
The Supreme Court rejected for the second time the request of a woman seeking the annulment of the search warrant on the basis of which the Police searched her premises in a village in the Nicosia district, finding paraphernalia that referred to divination and black magic.
The case came to light when a woman informed the Police that within 2024 she met the suspect through the "tik-tok" application, where she advertised that she could do paid magic. "Specifically, in a live video, she advertised that in case any woman wants a man and he doesn't want her, she can make it possible through her magic, after being paid," she said.
The informant was chatting, both by phone and by text, with the suspect, after asking him to help her enter into a relationship with a man, with the suspect asking her for money to do magic and achieve it. When the suspect asked her for money, the informant refused to pay it and then became the recipient of threats from the suspect's partner, so that she would not testify to the Police what was said about magic.
On the basis of this information, the Police secured a search warrant on the day of the arrest. 18.9.2024, issued in relation to the appellant's house, premises and wooden warehouse. The Police were investigating an offence, pursuant to Article 304 of the Criminal Code Law, Chapter 154.1 on the basis of information received that the appellant was engaged in paid magic, paid tarot reading, as well as black magic.
As stated in a recent decision of the Supreme Court, based on witness material collected by the Police and referred to in the relevant oath, "in the above house and premises, sums of money and objects such as bones, statues and other objects related to magic, are illegally concealed, for which there is a reasonable suspicion that it is believed that they will provide testimony to prove the aforementioned crime". The avoidance of destroying the evidence sought, which would provide evidence to prove the offences under investigation, was invoked as a reason for issuing the warrant.
Against the search warrant, the affected party had initially filed an application with the Supreme Court requesting the issuance of a privileged warrant to annul it. A judge rejected her request and then proceeded with an appeal on eight grounds, challenging the decision of the court of first instance as erroneous, claiming that the Court of First Instance erred in holding that there was no prima facie issue of dispute and wrongly did not hold that the lower court had issued the writ of appeal in excess of jurisdiction or power.
Three judges of the Supreme Court ruled that it follows from the evidence presented that the District Judge could reasonably be satisfied that there were reasonable suspicions justifying the issuance of the warrant, as the Court of First Instance rightly finds. The evidence before him was sufficiently satisfactory for the purposes of issuing the warrant.
As has been indicated, what is required is to create a reasonable suspicion and it is not necessary to establish every component of the offence under investigation at first sight. On the basis of the affidavit before the District Court, there was reasonable reason to believe that in the house, the premises, as well as the wooden warehouse located in the yard of the appellant's house, there were objects related to the investigation of the offence of Article 304. Considering that both objects and sums of money were being sought, it was reasonable to search both the house and the wooden warehouse, which is located in the courtyard of the house.
* * * * * *
A motorcycle driver is being sought by the Police, after a car accident.
As reported to philenews, around 10:00 there was a traffic accident on Makariou Avenue, when the driver lost control of the motorcycle.
The two-wheeled vehicle crashed into a sign and overturned on the ground. The driver left the scene on foot.
The authorities are looking for the causes under which the accident occurred, as well as the driver.
* * * * * *
A shocking case that unfolded in a village in the Larnaca district and concerns the abuse and forced labor of five minor children, one of whom (an adult today) also reported sexual abuse, causes horror and revulsion. For the case, a 48-year-old father and a 41-year-old mother were arrested a few days ago, following a complaint to the violence office of the family of the Larnaca Police Department, who were brought today before the Court, in order to be referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Assize Court.
This is a very serious case, which, according to the complaint, concerns long-term abuse of children, mainly by the 48-year-old. According to information from philenews, the case was reported when an underage girl confided to her school about the Golgotha that she and her siblings have been experiencing in recent years. The procedures were immediately initiated and a complaint was filed with the Police, whose investigations brought to light the unprecedented case. The case concerns 4 girls and a boy, two of whom (they are adults today) do not have a father, the 48-year-old.
The eldest daughter, who is now an adult, complained that the 48-year-old, who is her stepfather, began sexually abusing her repeatedly about 10 years ago, which, as she claimed, was known to her mother. She also complained that on one occasion many years ago her stepfather forced her to eat dirt, as well as that he forced her to watch movies with obscene content with him.
Among the allegations is that the 48-year-old forced four of the five children to work in fields and livestock for years, while some of them claimed that he used violence against them by beating them. There are also allegations of abuse against the mother. As far as the younger girl is concerned, the allegations relate to psychological violence.
The competent services have been informed about the case and placed all five children, aged from 7 to 23 years old, under their protection. The father and mother face very serious charges concerning, among other things, the exploitation of minors and forced labour. A case of sexual abuse of a minor is also being investigated against the 48-year-old.
* * * * * *
At a time when society is watching with shock the horrific case of abuse of five children by their parents in Larnaca, a new case comes to the peak of the abhorrence that public opinion feels.
This time in Limassol, the investigators of the Investigation Branch of the Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors of the Police Headquarters proceeded to arrest a 45-year-old suspect after a complaint by his daughter who is under 10 years old.
As Filenews is informed, the minor confided to a very close relative several recent incidents, claiming that her father sexually abused her. It is noted that the parents are divorced.
The revelation of the minor led the above person to file a complaint with the Investigation Branch of Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors of the Police Headquarters. The suspect was arrested and brought today at noon before the Limassol District Court, where in a closed-door procedure, the examiners will request his detention.
* * * * * *
A Ukrainian man accused of a major case of usurpation of Greek Cypriot property in the occupied territories was referred to a direct trial before a Criminal Court that will meet on June 13.
The Ukrainian is charged with 33 charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, fraudulent transactions in property belonging to another person and conspiracy to defraud.
The accused will remain in custody until the day he appears for his trial.
