Pafos Live 7 June 2025
As part of the checks carried out by the Ministry of Health for the identification of harmful/illegal preparations that are put up for sale, members of the Ministry of Health (Larnaca Division), yesterday conducted an investigation at a kiosk in Larnaca, in the presence of the 41-year-old manager of the premises.
During the investigation, 83 packages containing cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), classified as a class B controlled drug, were found and seized.
The 41-year-old person in charge of the kiosk was interrogated and released pending scientific examinations.
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In the context of an investigation into a case involving the detection of more than 8.5 kilograms of cannabis in Nicosia, during which four persons were arrested, the Nicosia District Court issued a property freezing order yesterday, following the cooperation of the Ministry of Finance and MOKAS.
The decree concerns the freezing of vehicles with a total value of €84,500, two properties worth €126,800, as well as cash of €20,635. In a coordinated operation carried out yesterday by the members of the Police Force in Nicosia, five of the vehicles mentioned in the relevant decree were located and received and transferred to a safe storage area.
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Filenews
The Limassol District Court rejected the request of the Limassol Police Department for the detention of the 43-year-old wanted in connection with the case of the detection of half a kilo of cannabis and the amount of €120,000, during the operation of the Limassol Police two weeks ago in a café and premises on Franklin Roosevelt Street.
The suspect voluntarily presented himself yesterday at the offices of the Limassol Police Station, where he was arrested. However, yesterday, after a long process in Court and an objection by his lawyer, Marinos Armeftis, regarding his detention for a period of six days, the Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to justify the detention of the 43-year-old and ordered his release.
It is recalled that three defendants are already in custody for the same case, including the brother of the 43-year-old. The three suspects remain under trial until the trial of the case before the Limassol Permanent Assize Court. The trial of the case is set for July 14, 2025.
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A foreign man, a permanent resident of Cyprus, has been detained for a period of seven days since Wednesday (4/6), who was arrested as a suspect in a case of sexual abuse of a tourist in Limassol.
According to the complainant's complaint, the incident allegedly took place in a nightclub in the city. As the tourist claims, the suspect approached her during the evening, led her to the toilets of the club, where – according to her – drugs were used, and then raped her.
After the complaint, members of the Limassol TAE proceeded to locate and arrest the suspect. A search of his home followed, during which 17 grams of cocaine were found. The suspect was brought before a court, which ordered his detention for seven days to facilitate investigations. He allegedly makes various allegations, which are under investigation by the Police.
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A 42-year-old driver was sentenced to a fine of €1,200, five penalty points, as well as deprivation of a driver's license for five weeks, in connection with a fatal road accident, which occurred in November 2020 on the coastal road of Limassol, with the victim being the 62-year-old cyclist Andreas Iakovou.
The 42-year-old defendant in the previous trial was acquitted of the charge of causing death due to a reckless, or dangerous act, in violation of Article 210 of the Criminal Code. However, he was found guilty of the second charge, which concerns driving at excessive speed, as he was driving at 90 km/h at a limit of 50 km/h.
His lawyers, Antonis Antoniou and Froso Veresier, made speeches on Friday about the mitigation of the sentence. The Court imposed a fine of €1,200 and five penalty points on the accused.
According to the facts of the case, on November 7, 2020, while the defendant was driving his car on 28th October Avenue, an eastbound coastal road in Limassol, at the height of the Public Garden and while observing the right lane, he hit and dragged the unfortunate cyclist, who entered the road in a north-south direction.
The unfortunate cyclist, according to the examinations of the members of the Traffic Police, in his attempt to cross with his bicycle before the photo-controlled pedestrian crossing, as a result of which he was hit by the 42-year-old's vehicle. From the violent impact, the 62-year-old hit his head and died instantly.
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Alarm to the fire brigade after a fire on a shared balcony.
At 16:40 yesterday, according to the Fire Department, a fire broke out on a shared balcony of apartments on the 1st floor of a residential complex between Tala and Tremithoussa. The fire was in furniture and household equipment (furniture, beds and refrigerator) on the balcony.
The fire was extinguished by our members using water pipes. No one was in danger. Foreigners live in the apartments. It is possible that the fire was caused by a lit cigarette butt or by the carelessness of foreign minors.
Two manned fire trucks from a Paphos fire station responded.
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Two of the three Syrian accused of a serious terrorism case that was uncovered in October last year in Nicosia will continue to remain in custody.
Two of the three defendants, after pleading guilty to the charges, raised the issue of further detention, with their lawyer arguing that the witness material did not justify the conclusion for their conviction. It is noted that the third defendant (wife of one of the applicants) is free under restrictive conditions.
The two foreigners are accused of the offences that included membership in the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, providing support to these terrorist groups, participating in a criminal organisation and admitting to commit crimes. In the process of their referral to trial by a Criminal Court, their detention was requested for the risk of fugitive, a request to which through their lawyer the two reserved the right to object before the Criminal Court, stating that they had also requested the presentation of further witness material.
A court was referred to him, examining the witness material that had been put before him, and concluded that there was a possibility of conviction for serious offences that carry severe penalties. Taking into account the above with the subjective factors of each appellant, it ruled that the risk of evasion was justified for both of them and ordered their detention.
An objection to the request for the detention of the two was raised for the first time on 21.3.2025, (after they declared non-admission to the charges they face), arguing that the witness material did not justify a conclusion on the existence of a possibility of conviction, as well as that the appellants maintain strong ties with the Republic of Cyprus. The Assize Court rejected their objection and ordered them to continue to remain in custody.
The Court of Appeal, by a majority of two judges in favour and one against, rejected their appeal, after finding that they did not change the facts with new evidence, nor did they raise the issue earlier. The third judge who dissented, held that since the Court of Assize allowed the reservation of the right to object to their detention during the first trial, it should have examined the issue of detention from the outset on 21.3.25, when they responded to the charges.
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Another case of a fatal accident was closed, with the Court sending to prison the accused driver who took the life of the national guard Evangelos Giannopoulos. A life that was cut short prematurely on the Limassol-Platres road, leaving behind pain and an entire family to mourn every day for the unjust death of their child.
The defendant was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the offence of causing death by reckless, reckless or dangerous act, in violation of Article 210 of the Criminal Code. The then 22-year-old driver caused the death of National Guard Evangelos Giannopoulos, who was in the passenger seat of the fatal vehicle, wearing his seat belt.
In its decision, the Limassol Court imposed on the defendant – after his own admission to the two charges – a prison sentence of 18 months, 8 penalty points, as well as deprivation of a driver's license for 3 months after his release.
Speaking to Filenews, visibly moved, the father of the unfortunate National Guard Evangelos Giannopoulos thanked the Police, the Prosecutor's Office and the Court for the rendering of justice.
"There should be no impunity and tolerance under conditions of decay. Impunity cannot prevail at all levels and everyone can cause victims. We feel that with the decision there is a moral satisfaction for all the victims of the fatalities, not just for our child."
He also added that "my son will not go back. Unfortunately, he trusted the wrong person. He got into his car to come home, but never arrived. He was a victim since he had no part in someone's decision to run at excessive speed on a bend, on a wet road. What happened was criminal negligence," he said and stressed at the same time that the Courts must send the right messages to everyone.
"What happened to us is terrifying. I don't even want to think about what would happen if a car with a family came from the opposite side. Unfortunately, for three and a half years we have not heard a single apology. It has not only killed our child. He has killed our entire family," says Evangelos Giannopoulos' father with pain.
The case was registered in March 2023 before the Limassol District Court, with the accused driver initially denying the two charges. On March 19, 2025, he changed his stance and admitted the charge of causing death by reckless, reckless or dangerous act, as well as the charge of driving a motor vehicle at a speed capable of endangering human life.
The fatal accident happened on January 13, 2022, around 14:00. The vehicle driven by the accused was moving on the Limassol – Platres road in the direction of Limassol, at a point where it had previously rained. As the vehicle was passing through a slight left turn, the driver – due to increased speed – lost control, causing the vehicle to deviate from its course, cross the two lanes of the oncoming traffic and violently crash into the guardrail, which he cut off. The vehicle then overturned and ended up in a ditch 1.5 meters deep on the west side of the road. The unfortunate Evangelos Giannopoulos unfortunately died instantly. From the on-site examinations carried out, it was found that the vehicle was moving at a speed of at least 110 kilometers per hour, while the maximum allowed limit at this point was 65 km/h.
