Filenews 1 August 2025
The Permanent Assize Court of Famagusta yesterday imposed a 7-year prison sentence on Michalis Angelis, 34 years old from Xylotymbou for the attempted murder of a 34-year-old woman. It is a woman whose name was involved in the murder case against the 34-year-old's brother, Nikos Angelis, in August 2024. It is noted that for the murder of Nikos Angelis, the 42-year-old brother of the 34-year-old, who was initially arrested for sending threatening messages to the victim, was sentenced to nine years in prison in June 2024.
The 34-year-old was found guilty, after a hearing, of six charges relating to attempted murder, psychological violence against a woman, threatening, carrying a knife outside the home and carrying a weapon to incite terror. He was also found guilty after his own admission to four other charges relating to the offence of assault causing actual bodily harm, threat, harassment and harassment.
The convicted man was arrested in February 2024, after an attack on the woman, who was at her home in Xylotymbou. According to the facts of the case, at 3 a.m. on February 29, 2024, he forcibly grabbed the 34-year-old and, after dragging her to a nearby area, doused her with kerosene and pulled out a lighter in order to set her on fire and burn her.
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With checks in Nicosia within the walls, the coordinated operations of the Police continued yesterday, to enhance the feeling of security in the area.
This action is part of an initiative of the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, and the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nikolas Ioannidis.
Members of OPE and YAM Nicosia participated in the operation. During the inspection, checks were carried out on various premises, while 109 persons, Cypriots and foreigners, were also checked.
During the above checks, a 43-year-old man was arrested, in whose possession a device for ejecting harmful gases and an iron fist were found and confiscated. The 43-year-old was taken to a Police Station, where he was charged in writing and released to be summoned before a Court.
The members of the Police also made two other arrests for the offence of illegal residence on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
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With a unanimous decision, the Permanent Court of Assize of Limassol today imposed on the 54-year-old accountant an immediate sentence of 8 years in prison on various charges related to the theft of a sum of money of €3.2 million from a group of companies. On the other hand, the Court of Assize imposed various prison sentences, the longest of which was two years, on her 68-year-old accused husband, however, the sentence was suspended for a period of three years from today.
It is worth mentioning that due to the delay in the trial, the sentences are reduced by one year.
The Court, in its decision today, pointed out, among other things, that the accusation of theft by an employee is very serious, noting that the defendant took advantage of the relationship of trust with her employer.
Among other things, the Court noted that financial crime is on the rise, taking on alarming proportions. Characterizing her action, the Assize Court stressed that the 54-year-old defendant was a person who stole in the most brutal way the group in which she worked. Its illegal action was systematic, organized and multifaceted. The Court characterized the present case in relation to the action of the 54-year-old as one of the most serious of its kind.
The Court, for their benefit, took into account the two defendants' clean criminal records, their age, as well as the health problems they face. He also took into account the time of the commission of the crimes, which ranges from five years.
It should be noted that a confiscation order of €750,000 in the possession of the 54-year-old defendant has been issued for the case, while, in relation to the 68-year-old defendant, the confiscation amount concerns the amount of €10,000 – an amount that had been stolen.
The Court examined the request made by his lawyer for the suspension of the 68-year-old defendant's prison sentence, referring to the facts of the commission of the charges he faces, as well as his family circumstances. Balancing the above, the Court approved the request for a suspended sentence
The decision also notes that the accused was not the mastermind of the whole case but his wife.
The chronicle of the case
The accountant faced hundreds of charges for the offences of forgery and circulation of a forged document. Specifically, from 2017 to May 2020, he forged checks from banks and companies of the group in which he worked. The cheques had been issued in the name of various persons, which the defendant endorsed as the alleged beneficiary and put into circulation.
In addition, he faced the offence of forgery of money transfer forms and statements of salary and contributions. Specifically, during the above period, in order to defraud, he forged 198 forms of transfer money from the company to the accounts of another company.
He was also accused of theft from secretaries and servants, in violation of Articles 255 and 268 of Cap. 154. Between 01/2017 and 05/2020, while he was an employee of the group of companies, he stole a sum of money of approximately €3.5 million, property of that company.
In addition, he faced the charge of false accounts for the purpose of fraud, since, while he was an employee of the company, he destroyed files and documents related to the group's accounting books.
He was also accused of money laundering, as he acquired and possessed the amount of €3.5 million, knowing that it constituted income from the commission of a criminal offence.
The second accused, the husband of the 54-year-old, was also charged with offences of forgery, circulation of a false document, theft and money laundering.
The case was brought to a hearing and the Prosecution, in order to prove the case, called 34 witnesses for the prosecution. The Court of Assize ruled that there was a prima facie case against the defendants and called them to an apology. The defendant chose to make an innocent statement, while her husband testified under oath. In addition, 12 defense witnesses testified.
The position of the Prosecution was that the defendant stole large sums of money from the group of companies, which was made possible by her capacity as head of the accounting department. Specifically, from January 2017 to May 2020, an amount of €3.5 million was stolen, which concerned the receipts of kiosks managed by one of the group's companies.
He forged cheques from other companies in the group, issued in the name of third parties – mainly employees of the group – and money transfer forms.
In relation to the second accused, it was found that he was the person who usually received the cash register of one of the kiosks and that he proceeded to deposit cheques, issued to third parties, to the account of another company, in the amount of €10,700.
The Court of Assizes, in its conviction on July 18 – which numbers more than 360 pages – notes that the Prosecution, represented by the Senior Lawyer of the Republic, Mikaella Pasiardi, managed to prove the case against both defendants. It is noted that the amount that was finally proven to have been stolen reached €3.2 million.
The case was investigated by a team of investigators from the Financial Crime Investigation Office of the Limassol TAE. The investigation began in early May 2020 and, due to the seriousness and nature of the case, was registered before the Assize Court in September of the same year. The multi-page indictment initially contained 870 charges.
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Two of the five Greek Cypriots who were "arrested" on July 19 in the occupied territories will remain in the "central prison" for three months, the "district court" of Trikomos ruled yesterday. Two of the five appeared before the "court" for the 3rd renewal of detention.
This is one of the two Greek Cypriot couples who were arrested in the occupied Gasstria of Famagusta, which is alleged to be the owners of land on which a residential complex was erected, within which they were "arrested".
Only two of the five appeared in court, as they face charges of "illegal entry into private property, disturbance of public peace and illegal possession of documents concerning personal data". All five are accused of violating a military zone and illegally entering the pseudo-state.
The "prosecutor's office" asked for the couple's pre-trial detention for 3 months at the request of the "police", who said that they found 4,000 messages in their e-mail, in Greek, and needed 3 months to examine them, as new offenses may arise.
The couple's defense lawyer questioned why they need to go through such a volume of e-mail, which is dated, and how they know that new charges may arise.
The Turkish Cypriot lawyer also asked how the violation of private property by his clients took place, since there is no security, door or bar in the residential complex, nor a sign that says that entry is prohibited.
The accusation of disturbance of the public peace, which according to the "police" was caused because the Greek Cypriot couple were moving inside the residential complex holding a blue envelope, was refuted by the defense lawyer, who questioned whether the envelope was red, or if it would not cause a disturbance of the public peace.
To the lawyer's question if there was a complaint, the "police investigator" replied that the owner of a house in the residential complex called them and they went.
In the blue envelope, the "policeman" said that a list of 14 people sent by email from a real estate agent was found and concerned the "owners" of houses built on the couple's property, which belonged to them in 1974. For the "police", this is a personal data breach, with the defense lawyer stating that none of the documents in the blue envelope are "official" and questioning whether the fact that a private individual sends someone a list of names makes the recipient accountable for an offence.
The "policeman" also mentioned to the "court" that there is a request to the "real estate committee" by the Greek Cypriots in question that was submitted 3 years ago, but the "committee" has not yet given its answer.
Following the proceedings, the two Greek Cypriot defendants spoke to the "court", explaining what happened and stated that if they were released, they would not escape.
To this end, the defense called their daughter as a witness, who presented to the "court" a rental document for an apartment in occupied Nicosia, where her parents would live until the proceedings were completed.
The couple's guarantors in the "court" were the veteran trade unionist Sener Eljil for the man and Teifik Yoldas, a member of the association "Peace – United Cyprus" for the woman. Mr. Eljil mentioned in the proceedings that he did not know the two, but a friend of the Greek Cypriot assured him that they were serious and honest people and offered to deposit the title deed of his car as a guarantee, so that the man would be released on parole until the trial of the case. Mr. Yoldas did the same for women.
The "prosecutor" denied that the couple, even if they have rented an apartment in occupied Nicosia, will not escape. Addressing Sener Elzil, who said that he did not know them but could guarantee them, he told him meaningfully "you came on order", with the Turkish Cypriot former trade unionist replying that "this case is on demand".
It should be noted that the "court" did not accept Eljil and Yoldashi as guarantors of the couple, because they did not know them and reported it.
Miné Attle's statements
In a comment on social media, Turkish Cypriot lawyer-activist and member of the Community Democracy Party (CPR), Mine Atli, expressed dismay at what was heard in the "court" and expressed hope that the "court" will not allow justice to be used as a tool in this political game. "This rigged battle will lead us as a society to very serious negative consequences."
Referral to a 'military court'
After the proceedings in the "district court" of Trikomo, all five Greek Cypriot citizens were referred to the "military court" of Famagusta. The case that will be heard there concerns "violation of borders" and entry into the pseudo-state "without the processing of immigration procedures".
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Intensive investigations by the Police are underway since early Friday morning at the scene of the attempted murder of a 47-year-old man in the Industrial Area of Dromolaxia, which has put the Police on red alert since yesterday morning. The searches are assisted by a drone, while ground forces are searching for evidence in fields, in an attempt to locate evidence of the action, which left behind the scooter he was driving and escaped on foot.
Already under the microscope, in addition to the scooter, which was found, according to information from filenews, that it had been stolen from a specific point in Larnaca, there are also a pair of gloves that were found in it. The shells found at the scene have been sent for ballistic control, while it is being investigated whether the weapon used by the perpetrator was a Kalashnikov.
As far as the motives are concerned, everything remains open for the Police, which is investigating reports made in his testimony by the victim, who expressed very specific suspicions. "The information that the victim has given to the Police is being evaluated, in order to solve the attempted murder against him," Police spokeswoman Kyriaki Lambrianidou said on our website. Asked to comment on whether the Police now have a specific direction regarding the motives of the criminal act, she pointed out that the victim "has already made references to possible motives, which are being investigated in the context of the investigative work". He added, however, that "the Police always investigate all possible parameters in order to solve such offenses." It is noted that within the day the 47-year-old may give additional testimony to the TAE of Larnaca.
The 47-year-old, who was not injured by the shooting, alerted the Police on his own around 11:30 yesterday morning. He reportedly reported that a few minutes earlier, while he was riding a bicycle on a secondary road, which leads from the Industrial Area of Dromolaxia to the Krasa area, he heard shots, which he initially thought came from hunters.
When he realized that the target was the same, according to what he reportedly reported, he began to develop speed and then saw the perpetrator, who was wearing a helmet, fleeing on foot, leaving behind the scooter he was driving. According to the Police, the perpetrator fired more than 10 shots. The scene was cordoned off and strong ground forces of the Police were deployed, while until yesterday afternoon a helicopter also assisted the investigations. According to information from the Police, the investigations today will continue until the afternoon.
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Cyprus Mail
A Turkish Cypriot civil servant who works at the north’s land registry office has been arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting the five Greek Cypriots who remain in custody after having been arrested on suspicion of espionage last month.
According to news website Kibris Postasi, the civil servant is accused of providing documents and maps to the five Greek Cypriots.
The civil servant is expected to appear in court in Famagusta on Friday.
The five Greek Cypriots are three men, aged 68, 66 and 60, and two women, aged 63 and 60. They were arrested on July 19, having been seen in a residential area in the village of Galatia, near Trikomo, “walking around with a blue folder” and “causing concern”.
Two of the five were remanded in custody for a further three months at a court in Trikomo on Thursday, while all five appeared in military court in northern Nicosia on Friday morning.
