Filenews 7 August 2025
As part of the investigation of a case of conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery, possession of offensive instruments and stabbing, a case that took place on April 1, 2025 in Limassol, the Police yesterday arrested a 26-year-old man on the basis of a court arrest warrant.
Specifically, on the above date, a 20-year-old man was reported to the Police that unknown persons attacked him, beat him and stole his moped, his mobile phone and a sum of money.
The TAE Limassol continues its examinations.
* * * * * *
A case of car arson is being investigated by the Police, after a fire broke out around 04:50 in the morning in Polemidia, Limassol.
The vehicle belongs to a 29-year-old man and was parked outside his house at the time of the incident.
For the case, two persons aged 37 and 22 have been arrested. They face the offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony and arson.
* * * * * *
Around 3.25 a.m. today, an explosion occurred at a car showroom in Engomi, Nicosia.
Members of the Police went to the scene where, from the on-site examinations, it was found that the explosion caused damage to the glass main entrance of the exhibition area. Further tests will be carried out this morning.
The explosion became a topic of discussion on social media with several citizens wondering what happened as a loud sound of an explosion at dawn caused them concern.
* * * * * *
Around 4.50 a.m. today, a fire broke out in a car owned by a contractor company, which was parked in the parking lot of a five-storey apartment building in Larnaca.
According to the Police, the fire was extinguished by the Fire Service, while further examinations into the exact causes of the fire will be carried out this morning.
To extinguish the fire, the Larnaca fire stations responded with two fire trucks.
The vehicle suffered extensive damage from the fire, while an adjacent parked private vehicle was also affected. Besides, fire and smoke affected part of the plot, two warehouses of the apartment building and the painting of the area.
A precautionary evacuation of the residents of the apartment building took place. The causes will be investigated later today in cooperation with the Police.
* * * * * *
A 21-year-old man was arrested last night on the basis of a court warrant and detained in Nicosia, to facilitate investigations into an ongoing case of illegal drug possession.
Specifically, in the context of an investigation of a case where, on July 29, 2025, more than six kilos of cannabis were found and confiscated in Nicosia, a testimony against the 21-year-old emerged. A search was also carried out at his home where a sum of money, a mobile phone, two mobile phone cards and a laptop were found and confiscated.
It is noted that, for the same case, another 21-year-old man is under eight-day detention.
The Nicosia Unit (YKAN) continues the examinations.
* * * * * *
The "district court" of Trikomos released the two Turkish Cypriots involved in the case of the five Greek Cypriots who are illegally detained in the occupied territories.
They are an 83-year-old real estate agent and an employee of the "land registry" of Kyrenia, who were brought separately before the "court" and face different charges.
The real estate agent is accused of violating the "law on the protection of personal data", while the employee of the "land registry" is also accused of abuse of power, in addition to the violation of the same "law".
The "court" ordered the payment of a bail of 200,000 Turkish lira (about €4,445) and the signing of a guarantee of 500,000 TL (about €11,110) for each. In addition, he forbade them to leave the occupied areas and stipulated that they would appear monthly at a "police station" until the trial of the case.
CNA
* * * * * *
Cyprus Police
Members of the CYC in collaboration with officers of the Customs Department, in the context of the actions and sample checks they carry out, detected cannabis with a total gross weight of one kilogram and 83 grams. Specifically, during the check that was carried out, four nylon packages containing dry cannabis plant material with a total gross weight of approximately one kilogram and 83 grams were detected in four cereal packages that arrived in Cyprus from abroad. During the examinations and based on the evaluation of evidence, testimony emerged against a 31-year-old resident of Limassol who was arrested to facilitate the interrogations.
* * * * * *
in-cyprus
Prosecution and defence at the trial of the former Volunteerism Commissioner have agreed on certain facts of the case to speed the process along and following a strong reprimand by the Nicosia District Court judge over unnecessary delays. The trial begun last November.
The Yiannis Yiannaki admissions concern the most serious charges of circulating and submitting false documents to the Youth Organisation, in connection with his high school degree and most importantly an American University (San Diego) degree.
Beyond the well publicised high school grades certificate, the San Diego false degree is one of the most spectacular deceptions admitted by Yiannaki. As was heard in court, the former Volunteerism Commissioner did not really study civil engineering, but not only attended a few classes over a single semester spanning a couple of years.
In the fall of 1989 he took a class in Geology and during the same period in 1990, three classes in ‘Discipline’, ‘Humour Psychology’ and ‘Hollywood Behind Bars’.
Yiannaki remains an employee of the Young Organisation, despite being under suspension.
He was one of the 66 candidates to apply for an associate position at the Youth Organisation back in 1995, submitting a CV claiming to be a graduate of San Diego University, falsely stating that he had completed his studies in 1992, securing a degree in civil engineering. The accused was selected as an alternate and was hired in 1996 for a period of two years.
Yiannaki further falsified a US Embassy and Ministry of Education seal to contest both the Young Organisation position as well as other positions at a later date.
The three charges admitted carry a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment, but the case is being tried by a District Court, so the maximum sentence that can be handed down by the court is a period of 8 years.
* * * * * *
Cyprus Mail
A man sentenced to 11 years jail after being found guilty of sexually abusing a child in Paphos has lost his appeal, after the Court of Appeal upheld the original verdict and sentence in a unanimous ruling made public on Thursday.
The defendant had been convicted by the Paphos criminal court on 14 charges in total. These included 12 counts of child sexual abuse and two counts of domestic violence. The offences took place between 2017 and May 9, 2019. The victim, a girl born around late 2009, was the daughter of the man’s partner at the time.
The criminal court sentenced him to multiple concurrent prison terms. These included 11 years, nine years, eight years, seven years, six years, and three years, depending on the charges. The maximum overall sentence remained 11 years, as the penalties were concurrent. The convicted man challenged the ruling on 14 grounds of appeal. These focused mostly on claims that his right to a fair trial had been breached.
He argued that the court had refused a request for his defence expert to examine the minor, to counter the findings of a prosecution clinical psychologist. He also claimed that the police had failed to investigate key elements of the case, which he said should have led to a suspension of proceedings.
Further arguments included claims that the court had wrongly reversed the burden of proof and that it had drawn incorrect conclusions from the evidence. He also said the court had unfairly dismissed parts of the defence witness testimony, including his own and that of his stepfather.
The appeal also claimed that the testimony of the child and her mother was inconsistent and weak, and that the child had been wrongly found credible despite a lack of supporting evidence.
The man further argued that the psychologist for the prosecution was given undue weight, in breach of standard legal practice. Another ground of appeal challenged the length of the sentence.
The defence said the criminal court had not taken into account any mitigating factors and had instead considered aggravating ones that were not present. A separate appeal by the attorney-general argued the sentence was too low.
However, the Court of Appeal rejected all arguments in a ruling on August 1. The judges examined the lengthy appeal decision and found each point raised to be baseless. The court highlighted the significant age gap between the accused and the victim and referred to the abuse of trust under conditions of violence. The judges also noted that the man had shown no remorse, nor had he admitted guilt to spare the victim from the trauma of a trial.
“We find no evidence of excessive or inadequate sentencing,” the judgement said.
“The criminal court assessed all relevant factors, followed established case law on offences of this nature, and placed appropriate weight on deterrence.”
The appeal against the conviction and sentence was dismissed in full.
