Pafos Live 3 June 2025
Police are conducting extensive investigations to determine whether the round hole in the upper part of a mosque on the ground floor of the Paphos provincial social security office was caused by a firearm.
The area has been cordoned off and investigations are being carried out both inside the offices and outside. At the same time, testimonies are being taken from officials of the department who located the small hole in the mosque this morning, who have reported that they had not noticed it in the previous days and do not know exactly when this damage was caused.
UPDATE - Filenews - An end to the alarm that sounded to the Police, when in the morning a hole resembling a shot at a glass was found in the building of the Social Insurance of Paphos.
From the investigations that followed, the Police ruled out the possibility of firing a shotgun, except in the case of an air gun, while investigations into the exact incidents are ongoing.
As stated by the Assistant Police Director of Paphos, Michalis Nicolaou, the incident was noticed and reported to the Police by an employee of the department who went to work early in the morning and immediately informed the Police. Members of the Paphos TAE went to the scene and after blocking it, investigations began to ascertain what really happened.
According to Mr. Nicolaou, the scene was also examined by members of the Police Headquarters, who came to the conclusion that the hole in the glass was caused by an object thrown at high speed.
The possibility of using a firearm, other than an air gun or other object that can throw pellets, was ruled out, he said.
The time frame within which the damage was caused, he concluded, remains unknown and the investigations of the Paphos TAE continue.
The Minister of Labour rushes to Paphos
The Minister of Labour goes to Paphos to see up close the disturbance caused to the district Social Insurance offices after the realization that the building may have been shot down by a gun.
Yiannis Panayiotou asked for information on the case from the first moment and after the completion of the on-site police investigations, he will go to Paphos to see the situation up close and be informed by the Police officials, as well as the officers of the department about what happened.
* * * * * *
A vehicle owned by a 48-year-old man was completely destroyed by fire in Oroklini and from testimony obtained by the Police, it seems that it is a criminal act.
According to Christodoulos Consolo, spokesperson of the Larnaca Police Department, "around 03.10 in the morning of Tuesday, June 3, a fire broke out in a vehicle in Oroklini, owned by a 48-year-old man, a permanent resident of Oroklini".
He added that "the fire was extinguished by the Fire Service while the vehicle was completely destroyed. No person was injured by the fire."
As Mr. Consolos said, "from preliminary examinations that were carried out, evidence was obtained that this is a criminal act and the scene is expected to be scientifically examined within the day."
* * * * * *
Filenews
The Police carried out a coordinated policing operation last weekend, in the city and district of Limassol, in order to prevent and combat serious crime and strengthen the citizens' sense of security.
As part of the policing operation, criminal areas, sensitive areas where crime phenomena have been observed, as well as areas that have recently been the target of criminal actions were checked. During the operation, 351 persons, 306 vehicles and 34 premises were checked.
During checks on suspicious persons, a person was identified and arrested against whom a court arrest warrant had been issued, regarding a theft case committed in the Larnaca district and is being investigated by the Oroklini Police Station, while the members of the Police also located a motorcycle, which had been reported as stolen, as well as a wanted vehicle.
In inspections carried out in nightclubs, a total of 23 complaints were made regarding violations concerning their license and conditions of operation, the license to transmit music and use loudspeakers and the license to sell alcoholic beverages.
During traffic checks carried out to prevent road collisions, 84 traffic violations were found and reported out of court, while another 26 cases of traffic violations emerged and are being investigated, which are expected, upon completion of the police examinations, to be registered before the Court for adjudication.
An additional 15 complaints were made for driving under the influence of alcohol, while a case of driving under the influence of drugs has arisen and is being investigated.
For police examinations, 14 vehicles were detained, of which six cars and eight motorcycles.
The organized policing operation was carried out during the night hours, between last Friday, May 30 and today, Monday, June 02. It was attended by members of various departments of the Limassol Police Department, including members of the Crime Prevention Squad, members of Team "Z" and members of the Limassol Traffic Police, while members of the Police Force also participated.
* * * * * *
For offenses involving sexism and incitement to violence, the well-known Greek Cypriot TikToker, Nikos Peletier, is being investigated.
Following complaints by the Socialist Women's Movement and the Pancyprian Federation of Women's Organizations (POGO), Pelletier was arrested, interrogated and charged in connection with these offences.
According to cross-checked information from Filenews, the case file will soon be completed and then it will be forwarded to the Legal Service for study and instructions.
The issue had arisen last April after a post/video by Nikos Pelletier on Social Media.
At that time, the Socialist Women's Movement had issued a statement, stating that it had filed a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority, the Committee on Journalistic Ethics, the Police and the Prosecutor's Office regarding a post by Nikos Peletier on an electronic platform of a Cypriot media, as well as on social media.
According to the complaint, the post in question reproduces sexist speech that is contrary to the special provisions of the code on unfavorable comments and gender discrimination.
* * * * * *
Prison sentences were imposed on three persons, after their conviction for robbery and assault committed last January, in Limassol, with a 24-year-old victim, by the Limassol District Court today. A fourth person, who was also found guilty during the trial, was summoned to appear again before the Court, for sentencing purposes.
The robbery was committed on January 15, in an area in Limassol, where the 24-year-old, who worked as a delivery man, went for food delivery. After parking his motorcycle, he was attacked by one person, while two other people demanded that he hand over his wallet and two mobile phones, which he did. Then, two other people stole the 24-year-old's motorcycle.
From the examinations carried out by the Police and specifically by the Limassol TAE, evidence emerged against the four persons, aged 17, 15 and 21. They were arrested with court warrants and upon completion of the police examinations, the case was registered for trial by the Limassol District Court.
After examining the evidence collected by the Police and presented before it by the Prosecution, this morning it imposed a one-and-a-half-year prison sentence on the 15-year-old and 17-year-olds, whom it found guilty of the crime of robbery, while it imposed a 22-month prison sentence on the 21-year-old, for the offense of common assault. The Court has decided that the prison sentences are suspended, for a period of three years. The court proceedings were set to continue at a later date, for the imposition of a sentence on the fourth accused, also 17 years old.
* * * * * *
Heavy penalties for the persons who attacked five Pafiakos volleyball players in the early hours of March 30, who were in an entertainment center in Paphos to celebrate the conquest of the cup.
Today, the Paphos District Court imposed suspended prison sentences on two persons and fines on three other persons, after they were convicted of the offences of assault, mob and theft.
According to the case data, around 4.30 a.m. on March 30, five men, aged 27 to 37, after leaving an entertainment center in Paphos, while they were on an adjacent street, were attacked by a number of people.
From the examinations carried out by the Police and specifically by the Paphos TAE, evidence emerged against five persons, specifically against two 24-year-old men, a 23-year-old man and two 21-year-old men. They were arrested on court warrants and upon completion of the police examinations, the case was registered for trial by the Paphos District Court (Police Press Release No. 3, dated 31/03/2025 and Police Press Release No. 3, dated 25/04/2025, are relevant).
After first examining the evidence collected by the Police and presented before it by the Prosecution, as well as after the admission of the five defendants to the charges they faced, this morning it imposed the following sentences on the defendants:
>> A 24-year-old man was sentenced to five months in prison and a fine of 300 euros, for the offences of causing grievous bodily harm and rioting, respectively
>> A 21-year-old man was fined 1,200 euros for assault offenses causing actual bodily harm, as well as a fine of 300 euros for the offense of mob violence
>> The second 21-year-old was sentenced to six and two months in prison for the offences of causing grievous bodily harm and theft, respectively, as well as a fine of 300 euros for the offence of mob violence
>> The second 24-year-old was fined 1,200 euros, for the offenses of assault causing actual bodily harm, as well as a fine of 300 euros, for the offense of mob violence
>> The 23-year-old was fined 600 euros for the offense of assault causing actual bodily harm, as well as a fine of 300 euros for the offense of rioting
The Court has decided that the prison sentences are suspended, for a period of three years.
* * * * * *
For today, it is planned to continue the process for the escape of the lifelong resident Doros Theofanous, while he was on leave at his family home in Choletria, Paphos, last September. The Court of Assize had postponed the case till today, during the previous trial on May 14.
Doros Theofanous, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, appeared at the Paphos Assize Court under draconian security measures. From the first trial, he had admitted the charge of escaping from lawful arrest, but replied not to admit to the charge of conspiracy to commit a felony.
Failure to admit to the offence of assisting the escape of a person who was under legal detention and admitting to the offence of disobeying legal orders, i.e. that he came into contact with him, was the response of the 26-year-old from Limassol who is accused of fleeing the life prisoner from Choletria to Limassol.
Theophanous' escape, while he was on a legal visitation permit to his family home in Choletria, Paphos, took place on September 26 and the lifelong prisoner along with the 26-year-old from Limassol who picked him up from the village and transported him to an area near Ypsonas, are now accused of conspiracy to commit a felony.
* * * * * *
The Court of Appeal overturned a decision of a court in Paphos which released a defendant who had a total of seven previous convictions for the same offence. The Court of Appeal also spoke of an error in the first instance to set the case for a hearing almost a year later.
The case concerned a 26-year-old woman who is facing six charges at first instance, at the Paphos District Court, for: (a) Conspiracy to commit a felony in violation of Article 371 of the Criminal Code 2, Cap. 154 (hereinafter referred to as the "Criminal Code"), (b) Two charges of Theft in violation of Article 262 of the Criminal Code, (c) Malicious damage in violation of Article 324(a) of the Criminal Code, and (d) Possession and transport of explosives in violation of Article 4(4)(d) of the Explosives Law Cap. 54.
According to the decision of Judges Ch. Charalambous, M. Papadopoulou and M. Piki, the procedure followed at first instance was incorrect. Specifically, after the respondent replied that he did not admit the above charges and before a hearing date was set, the request for detention was examined. After the first-instance decision was issued ruling that the detention was not justified, then the Court proceeded and set the case for hearing on 20.3.2026.
First, the Court of Appeal says, we can only express our dissatisfaction with the appointment of a criminal case for a hearing after almost a year. It is a relatively simple case with seven witnesses, six of whom are police officers who are not expected to need many trials to be heard. The most fundamental error, however, lies in the examination of the request for detention before the case is defined.
The existence of seven previous convictions, the Court of Appeal points out, for offences of a similar nature to those of the present case, in some of which other cases of a similar nature had even been taken into account, as well as the pending two other cases also for similar offences, undoubtedly created such a strong impression of a repetition of the offences. A fortiori the fact that the offences in the present case were allegedly committed during the period of suspension of the prison sentence imposed in six of the seven above cases.
Thus, in the present case, too, the data before the Court of First Instance clearly led to the creation of a strong impression that there was a risk of committing other offences by the respondent if she were released.
Furthermore, it is noted in the decision: We are concerned by the fact that the case has been set at a particularly distant date, since it is undesirable to order the detention of a defendant for such a long time. Without interfering with the power of the Court of First Instance to define the case, and in view of the detention order that has now been issued, instructions are given that the case should be brought before the Judge of the Court of First Instance by 6.6.2025 at 9 a.m. at the latest. so that it can be rescheduled for a hearing as soon as possible, taking into account the fact that the Respondent will be in custody.
The appeal succeeds. The decision at first instance is annulled. The defendant is ordered to be detained until her next appearance before the Paphos District Court.
* * * * * *
A cross between the banned Pitt Bull and Dogo Argentino breeds belong to the three dogs that attacked a 25-year-old caregiver and two minor children, aged 3 and 6, on Sunday morning.
Officials of the Veterinary Services yesterday examined the dogs whether they belong to prohibited breeds, as well as their aggressive behaviour. As it turned out, this is a cross between the banned breeds Pitt Bull and Dogo Argentino.
The relevant opinion of the Veterinary Services is already in the possession of the Police.
According to the "Dog" legislation, there are four prohibited breeds as well as their crossbreeds. Under the law, if a veterinary officer detects aggressive tendencies towards a dog belonging to a prohibited or dangerous breed, the animal is apprehended by the relevant local authority and, in accordance with the law, euthanised.
Article 11 of the Law "On Dogs" is clear and specifically states: "It is understood that in cases where aggressive tendencies of the dogs referred to in subparagraph (2) towards the public or animals are detected by a registered Veterinarian or Veterinary Officer, the dogs, after being captured by the competent authority, are euthanized by a registered Veterinarian."
It is recalled that the owners of the three dogs are detained for a period of two days. The 36-year-old suspect from Slovakia, under interrogation, claimed that she was taking care of the three dogs and had taken measures to prevent them from escaping. Specifically, she said that she had placed double iron mesh on the gates of her house, as the animals had escaped in the past. He also stated that the dogs had never exhibited aggressive behaviour. He admitted, however, that on the day of the attack the dogs managed to break the net and escape. As he claimed, he searched to locate them in the area but did not succeed and was finally informed by the Police about the incident. She then went to the police station, where the animals were handed over to her.
The 43-year-old suspect from Belarus reportedly claimed during the interrogation that he was in Platres on Sunday morning. He said that he has owned three dogs for a year, but does not have the necessary licenses. He also claimed that he had taken steps to prevent their escape and that they had not shown aggression in the past.
Neither of the two suspects presented documents proving the legal possession, marking or registration of the dogs, as required by law. In addition, the 36-year-old handed over a dog's passport, which, according to the Police, is incomplete, as the details of both the owner and the animal itself are missing.
The incident happened on Sunday morning when the 25-year-old domestic worker had taken the two underage boys of the family for a ride. According to the Police, a foreign worker in a neighbouring business found the woman covered in blood, having her children with her. With the help of a cafeteria employee, they rushed to offer first aid and called an ambulance. The same worker was the one who called the children's father and alerted him, while he transported the caretaker and the children to a vehicle to protect them. The 25-year-old suffered serious injuries from bites on the right side of her body, including her knee, thigh and arm. Her health condition is out of danger.
