Filenews 4 November 2025
The Police handcuffed a 51-year-old wanted man for offenses committed in Nicosia last night.
The 51-year-old was wanted to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of conspiracy to commit a felony, theft and malicious harm, committed between the dates 26-27/10/2025 in the province of Nicosia, was arrested on the basis of a court warrant and taken into custody.
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Three people were arrested today and taken into custody to facilitate investigations into an investigated case involving theft from a car, conspiracy to commit a felony, theft from an employee and malicious damage.
Specifically, it was reported on 27/10/2025 by a 38-year-old woman that a briefcase containing a sum of money was stolen from her work car.
As part of the examinations and on the basis of the collection and evaluation of evidence, the Police proceeded to arrest the above 38-year-old woman as well as a 57-year-old and a 51-year-old, all from the province of Nicosia, on the basis of court warrants.
The three arrested were taken into custody and today they are expected to appear before the Nicosia District Court for their detention procedure.
The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.
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A mobile phone was found in the possession of a suspect who is in custody at the Limassol Police Department, for the murder of Stavros Demosthenous.
According to the Police, the authorities received information about the specific incident and searched the prisoner's cell, where they located the mobile phone.
Authorities are investigating how the suspect's mobile phone got into the hands of the suspect, while an administrative investigation has also been conducted into the actions of the members of the force.
This suspect, when interrogated, claimed that his mobile phone was given to him by another inmate who would be transferred from the detention center to the Central Prison.
Update 1 - New arrests in the case of the murder of Stavros Demosthenous were announced by the Chief of Police, Themistos Arnaoutis.
Speaking during the budget debate of the Ministry of Justice and answering questions from MPs, the Chief of Police said that to date eight arrests have been made, more are expected and we continue.
We have a problem, he said, with technological upgrading and that is why we asked for a consultant on these issues.
He spoke of criminals who are armed, who have no moral barriers, nor do they have financial constraints, which is why the Minister of Finance was asked for approval for the recruitment of technology specialists. The Minister of Finance responded positively and referred us to buy services.
Regarding the citizen who was accidentally put in a van and the mobile phone that was found in the possession of a person on trial for the murder of Demosthenes, Mr. Arnaoutis said that administrative investigations have been ordered and both incidents are being investigated. The Chief of Police also referred to the drug problem, asking for the help of the Parliament on the issue. YKAN is doing a great job, "but the problem is big," he stressed.
Update 2 - The 51-year-old suspect, of Greek origin, still denies any involvement in the murder of Stavros Demosthenous. The court was not convinced with his claims. However, according to the Police, his allegations are refuted by the data of the investigation.
Today, Tuesday, the 51-year-old was brought before the Limassol District Court together with the 44-year-old former football player for the renewal of their detention. This is the third eight-day period for the 44-year-old and the second for the 51-year-old. After a long process, the Court reserved its decision on the detention of the two suspects for tomorrow, after the lawyers of the suspects objected to the further detention of their clients.
Before the start of the proceedings, the representative of the Prosecuting Authority, Panikos Avraamidis, asked the Court that the 44-year-old remain in handcuffs, as, as he was informed by the investigators of the Limassol TAE, the suspect expressed an intention to escape. The Court approved the request for security reasons, while his lawyer denied the claim, arguing that his client has been in a "one-on-one" cell for 16 days.
The investigators of the TAE Limassol requested the renewal of the detention of both suspects for another eight days, a request to which their lawyers objected.
During the renewal process, the examiner of the case, Ilias Kreouzos, stated that the 51-year-old denies any involvement, making several allegations that, according to the Police, some of them, are refuted.
As he said, so far 124 testimonies have been received and dozens of items have been received, which are being examined by the laboratories. Investigators have already evaluated a large amount of material from closed surveillance circuits, while about 69 testimonies are still expected from people close to the suspects and the victim.
Mr. Kreouzos noted that investigations continue on a daily basis in routes, houses and places where the perpetrators moved before and after the crime, with new material being constantly added to the investigative work. He mentioned that 22 investigations were carried out and 2 more targeted ones are planned to identify critical evidence.
The content of private communications of suspects is also being evaluated, while results of telecommunications data are expected that are estimated to significantly expand the volume of the investigation.
DNA, stolen vehicles and the "death rehearsal"
A decisive role in locating the 51-year-old suspect was a Mitsubishi Colt, which had been stolen 12 days before the murder and was located three days before the crime near the Sfalagiotissa cemetery. The vehicle had fake license plates and two jerry cans with flammable material were found inside.
Closed-circuit analysis revealed that persons had gone on a moped near the victim's home on October 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14, and then boarded the Colt and the white van. The routes they followed reinforced the conclusion that the assassination plan was in progress days before the execution.
According to the Police, the two jerry cans were intended for the arson of the vehicle, as was finally the case with the stolen van after the crime.
Police linked the 51-year-old to the theft of the Colt after information arrived on October 24. His DNA was identified on the lid of one of the jerry cans, leading to the issuance of a new arrest warrant for offenses directly related to the murder.
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As part of the actions to combat illegal and undeclared employment, a coordinated operation of the Police was carried out yesterday morning in cooperation with officials of the Inspection Service of the Ministry of Labour.
During the operation, which took place in the areas of Astromeritis, Peristerona, Evrychou, Galata and Kakopetria, a total of 13 persons were found working illegally in four different businesses.
Four of the above persons resided illegally in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
All 13 were arrested for flagrante delicto offenses and taken to a police station for further examination.
In addition, six more persons were found outside a premises and in the presence of the members of the Police, they fled only to be stopped and found to be illegally residing on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, as a result of which they were also arrested.
Officials of the Inspection Service of the Ministry of Labour found violations and handed over to the employers (they will be charged at a later stage) a notice of violation for undeclared work.
The Police, in cooperation with the competent Services, will continue the targeted controls with the aim of cracking down on illegal and undeclared employment.
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A 43-year-old wanted man was handcuffed by the Police on Monday afternoon.
The 43-year-old was arrested to facilitate investigations into investigated offenses related to the Explosives Law, which were committed in September 2025, in Nicosia, was arrested today on the basis of a court warrant and taken into custody.
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The continuation of the "trial" of two Greek Cypriots in the occupied territories who face charges of "violation of personal data" and "violation of privacy" has been set for Thursday.
During today's proceedings before the "district court" in occupied Trikomo, the "prosecuting authority" presented two "witnesses", who testified that data and information about their properties were found in the possession of third parties without their consent, which caused them concern and led them to file a complaint.
The first witness, a Turkish Cypriot, testified that her family received "equal property (eş değer)" in the occupied territories compared to the property her mother held in Larnaca. She said that the "police" approached her, informing her that her title deed details and her name were found in an envelope. During her testimony, she claimed that a "police officer" showed her an email from his mobile phone, in which her personal information was written, but she did not see the sender or recipient. This fact, as she said, made her feel uncomfortable and file a complaint.
During cross-examination by the defense attorney, she admitted that she did not file a complaint against employees of the "land registry", even though, as she said, she heard that her information may have been given by the "Kyrenia land registry" in exchange for bribery.
The second witness, a Turkish Cypriot who was born in the United Kingdom and lives in the occupied territories, testified that the "police" called him to testify, telling him that the information about his property was in the possession of third parties. He said he was "shocked" and said he filed a complaint because he considered it a "fraud" that some people had his details without his permission.
The witness admitted that he did not see any evidence and that he simply "trusted the police" to file his complaint. When the defense attorney asked him why he didn't complain about the at least 15 other people who approached him in the past to buy the property, apparently having found his details, he did not give a clear answer.
The defense counsel submitted that the witness's real motive was his dislike for Greek Cypriots, a claim that the witness rejected, accusing the lawyer of "racism". The witness also stated that he is worried and that, while he often travels to the free areas, on his next trip to Britain he will avoid Larnaca airport and travel through Turkey.
The "prosecution" requested that the proceedings continue on another day in order to call another "witness". The "court" set the continuation of the "trial" for next Thursday, November 6, at 13.30. In addition, the "prosecution" requested that a summons be issued for another "witness", who will be called to testify on November 12, at 11.30.
CNA
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The Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia imposed a 10-year prison sentence on a 30-year-old father of a child after he admitted possession of a quantity of cannabis weighing 19 kilograms and 710 grams, with the aim of supplying it to other persons.
The interesting point about this verdict handed down last week is not limited to the imposition of the aforementioned sentence for the offense in question committed on 12/9/2024 in the province of Nicosia.
It is related to the personal circumstances of the convicted person, some of which were taken into account to a certain extent by the three-member judiciary. The latter, of course, did not ignore the need to impose a deterrent penalty, repeatedly emphasizing in its decision the consequences for society of felonies such as the one in question.
As can be deduced from the positions of the defense recorded in the 22-page decision of the Criminal Court (Lefteris Panteli - P.E.D., Marilena Theoklitou - A.E.D., Konstantinos Markos Pashiardis - E.D.), the 30-year-old who worked as a distributor in a well-known company, fell into a particularly dire psychological position when he found out that the child he had with his partner just 30 days before the commission of the offense could not be recognized as his legal child.
According to the positions of the lawyer, Thanasis Athanasiou, who represented the 30-year-old, the latter who had at least five hospitalizations for severe psychotic disorders, relapsed due to a law that did not allow him to become the legal father of his child. Specifically, his partner and cohabitant had taken steps to formally dissolve her previous marriage, however, she gave birth to her child with her current partner, the 30-year-old, "before 302 days have passed, based on Article 6 of the Children of Kinship and Legal Status Law, i.e. in a period before the marriage of his partner with her husband is dissolved".
The decision notes about the positions of the defense that "due to this, it is presumed, based on the law, that the biological father of the child is the husband of the accused's partner (...) In this case, the accused was told by a competent authority that his daughter could not be entered into the state registry with him as the father of the child." Thanasis Athanasiou explained that various suspicions were installed in his client's mind. In addition, and always based on what the defense said, the 30-year-old started a legal battle, relapsed and started using cannabis more often.
He explained that in this context he came into contact with some people who, realizing the vulnerability of the accused, told him that they would help him and thus included him in the plan to transport the disputed amount of cannabis for the amount of €2.000. "This promise to register his daughter was the reason that prompted him to commit the offense," according to the lawyer.
Indicative of the way in which the Criminal Court approached the above positions is the following excerpt from the decision:
"It is therefore in this context that we assess the otherwise very serious psychotic disorder of the accused, i.e. that as a consequence of it he became vulnerable to manipulation, but without further justifying the commission of the offense, whatever the consideration promised to the accused by the third parties and it is noted that in addition to the promise to register the daughter from the first answer he gave immediately after the arrest of his vehicle (s.s. by members of YKAN), it appears that this was not the only issue. As he himself stated: "Just so you know, I did this job to get €2,000", a position which matches the document mentioned in the psychiatric opinion which was also submitted by the defense, namely that: "He also obsessively wanted to find money to serve his above goal". In any case, what is taken into account as a mitigating element in the sentence to be imposed, is not the consideration (since nothing can justify the committal), but the pre-existing very serious mental disorder as a factor that altered the critical thinking of the accused and consequently made him vulnerable and then subordinate to dangerous people." The Criminal Court took into account the immediate admission of the accused, while positively assessing the fact that he completed a rehabilitation program in the Prisons.
The 30-year-old at the time of committing the offense was staying at his mother's house with his partner, the latter's 6-year-old child from her previous marriage and their newborn daughter.
When he was arrested, he had desperately reported to the police that "the baby is 30 days old and will be 15 years old to see him", concluding that "I ruined everything". The case was handled for the prosecuting authority by Marina Masoura.
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A theft against a woman who was driving on the road, in one of the busiest areas of Paphos, took place a while ago. According to our information, the theft was carried out by unknown persons who were walking on the main road leading from Paphos to Chloraka, at the location "Diplakartzia".
The woman was driving her vehicle, with her bag in the passenger seat, when without realizing it and before she could react, unknown persons snatched the bag from the open window of the vehicle and fled.
The incident took place in front of many motorists and other people who were circulating in this commercial area. The woman immediately informed the Police, whose members rushed to the scene and began examinations.
Members of the Z team are combing the wider area to locate the perpetrators, while the examinations continue to ascertain the contents of the stolen bag.
