Pafos Press 23 December 2025
The Police are investigating a new case of online fraud for alleged investment in cryptocurrencies, following a complaint filed today by a 40-year-old man at the Paphos Financial Crimes Investigation Office. The case is being investigated by the Financial Crimes Investigation Office of the Paphos Financial Crimes Investigation Office.
According to the complaint of the 40-year-old, last November, after communication he had via a telecommunications platform with an unknown person, he was convinced to invest in cryptocurrencies. After the 40-year-old purchased cryptocurrencies, he sent them to an electronic wallet that was indicated to him.
However, the 40-year-old realized that he had been deceived, since when he later asked to withdraw his money and the profits that his investment supposedly yielded, he was asked to deposit an additional amount of €20,000.
According to the complaint filed with the Police, the perpetrators obtained a sum of money of 34,010 dollars, equivalent to €28,958.
The Police, on the occasion of this new fraud complaint, advises the public to be careful in relation to carrying out any transactions and investments via the Internet and urges the public to cooperate only with recognized companies and approved advisors for any financial investments.
It is emphasized that bank account and bank card details, passwords to online accounts and email accounts, as well as other personal data, must be protected and never disclosed to any persons.
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Filenews
Five arrests for drug possession were made yesterday, December 22, by members of the YKAN Unit and the Limassol OPE, after a coordinated operation in a park and neighbouring streets in Kato Polemidia.
The arrested are aged 27, 22, 17, 30 and 21. A quantity of drugs weighing 175 grams was found in the possession of the 27-year-old, while small quantities were found in the other four.
A search of the 27-year-old's home followed, where an additional 13 grams of cannabis were found. The four were charged in writing while the 27-year-old will appear today for detention.
The operations of ADE Limassol will continue in the coming days.
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Serious developments in the criminal investigation into the alleged brutal beating of the referee, Konstantinos Theodorou, after the end of Saturday's match of the B category he directed, between Karmiotissa and APEA Akrotiri.
Reliable information received by "F" states that until yesterday, two persons related to the football club of Karmiotissa had received a summons for questioning. These are people who are being checked, i.e. they received a summons to testify as suspects of specific offenses (caution).
It is clear that for these persons there was testimony that they were involved in the harassment of the referee after the end of the match.
One person, according to information, but also the full report made by the referee on the score sheet and which was presented by "F" in yesterday's edition, is the paramedic declared by Karmiotissa.
We remind you that in the detailed report of Konstantinos Theodorou, the following is recorded about the paramedic: "In my attempt to protect myself and my physical safety and seconds before I was on the ground, I managed to identify a person who punched me in the ribs and near the chest, who is an official of the home team, Karmiotissa Polemidia, in the capacity of a paramedic, named ..., with an identity card ..., who had earlier been sent off during the regular time of the match and specifically in the 88th minute of the match for inappropriate behavior on the bench, with constant protests regarding the refereeing decisions. Present as witnesses were the two assistant referees, named Andreas Victor and Angeliki Athanasopoulou, the match observer, named Kyriakos Christoudias and the match doctor named Georgios Nikolaou".
Bruise on the head
In addition, the specialized medical examinations to which the referee underwent during his stay at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Limassol General Hospital, confirm his position that he was injured. Specifically, the medical certificates speak of a bruise on the head and trauma to the ribs.
We remind you that Mr. Theodorou underwent a chest X-ray and a CT scan of the brain, neck, chest and abdomen. The referee on the score sheet had written that he was attacked by representatives of the home team, exercising "physical violence with brutality", talking about "beating with repeated punches and kicks all over my body".
Lefteris Kyriakou
The referee did not file a complaint, but as we revealed yesterday, the Police are investigating the incident ex officio. Some expressed wonder whether there can be a criminal investigation without a complaint.
However, yesterday the assistant police director of Limassol, Lefteris Kyriakou, in a series of television statements, said that the investigation is being carried out on the basis of the legislation on violence in the stadiums, on the basis of which the intervention of the Police to investigate what happened after the game is justified.
However, it appears from the positions of Mr. Kyriakou that for the time being it does not appear that the two members of the Corps who performed policing duties in the game have responsibilities. The referee had noted on the score sheet that the police officers remained inactive.
However, Mr. Kyriakou, answering a relevant question yesterday, said that as soon as the police found out that there was a conflict, they rushed to the scene and removed the people who had approached the referee.
Yesterday, the Cyprus Football Federation and the Cyprus Referees Association issued statements of support for referee Constantinos Theodorou.
It should be noted that the KOP will handle the issue on the basis of the regulations that govern its operation. What Konstantinos Theodorou records on the score sheet will be evaluated by the disciplinary prosecutor Stelios Nikolaou and is expected to be brought before the sports judge Aristotelis Vryonidis.
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He came to Cyprus in 2019 from Tunisia and nine days later he married a Cypriot woman. Audits by state agencies found that the wife's children did not know about her marriage, while it became clear that they were living together rather than being husband and wife.
His marriage was deemed fictitious by the Civil Registry and Migration Department, a decision that was communicated to them by letter dated 7.11.2022. Both affected parties filed an appeal against this decision, arguing that the Department did not conduct a proper investigation into the authenticity of their marriage. According to their lawyer's arguments, the facts surrounding the applicants' marriage were not sufficiently examined, and the personal circumstances and/or behaviour of the couple, before and after their marriage, which, in any event, is genuine and genuine, were not taken into account and/or ignored.
According to the facts of the case as recorded in the decision, the applicant is a Tunisian national, who arrived in the Republic of Cyprus on 18.2.2019 and a few days later, on 27.2.2019, he performeda civil marriage with the applicant, who is a Cypriot citizen, at a Town Hall in Limassol.
According to a relevant note dated 18.10.2020, the Aliens and Immigration Service (YAM) of Limassol carried out two checks at the couple's declared address, on 25.8.2020 and 28.9.2020, regarding the authenticity of their marriage, from which, among other things, it was found that the applicant's children did not know about her marriage to the applicant, "something she failed to mention in the previous check".
Subsequently, according to a new Note of the Limassol Ministerial Decision, date. 24.7.2022, a new check was carried out on 14.7.2022, regarding the authenticity and viability of the couple's marriage, at their declared address of residence, from which it was found that the applicant lives in the house with the applicant, "but not under conditions as the spouse of the Cypriot, but as a simple cohabitation". In fact, as it is recorded, both had fallen into contradictions as to whether their marriage was harmonious.
Finally, on 14.10.2022, the marriage was deemed fictitious by the Director of the Department, who approved the recommendation of the Advisory Committee for Sham Marriages, in relation to the marriage of the applicant with the applicant, as this recommendation had been formed, i.e. that "there is sufficient evidence that tends to demonstrate that the marriage is fictitious".
The Court, after hearing all the opinions, considered it reasonable and justified to find that it was a sham marriage. It is presumed that the information submitted to the Advisory Committee was all that relating to the couple's relationships, the police investigations and reports, as well as the statements and/or information that had been given.
According to Judge Filippos Komodromomos, it is permissible to investigate at times the authenticity of the marriage which, of course, touches on a personal institution, but where the marriage is linked to elements that at first glance appear suspicious or problematic, such as that the marriage takes place to give a residence permit to a third-country national, the authorities of the Republic are required to conduct an investigation, so that people who use methods that are not legal do not remain on its territory.
The final conclusion of the Court was that the decision of the competent services, by which the marriage of the applicants was declared fictitious, is completely correct and legal and, in any case, reasonably permissible.
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Limassol is on high alert, as in recent months the city has been shaken by criminal actions that indicate the action of organized networks. The attempted murder of a 36-year-old Syrian committed on Saturday night (20/12) on Anexartisias Street, seems to have sparked a new cycle of retaliation.
In response, there was an episode of vandalism against the property of a 30-year-old wanted man, the owner of a barbershop.
According to the Police, unknown persons in the early hours of Monday caused extensive damage to the property, both in the glass façade and inside.
The motives of the attempted murder remain under investigation and the Police are keeping silent as to the aspects behind the incident.
At the same time, at the Limassol Police Department, they do not have time to form investigative teams, as one criminal act follows another.
Information from "F" states that the motives may be related to drug issues and "protection" issues. Both the victim and the wanted person are persons who have previously occupied the authorities with serious cases.
In his statements, the assistant police director of Limassol, Mr. Lefteris Kyriakou, asked to comment on whether the two cases are connected, said that "there seems to be a possible connection with the previous case of attempted murder".
According to the closed surveillance circuits, two persons, having their faces covered, threw stones at the specific store, while then one of them entered the interior, causing further damage.
As Mr. Kyriakou mentioned, testimony has been obtained that the owner of the barber shop is one of the three persons who allegedly participated in last Saturday's bloody clash.
As for other people involved, the examinations continue with the aim of verifying their details. The 30-year-old wanted man remains missing for the time being, while the possibility that he will try to escape through the occupied areas is not excluded.
Regarding preventive measures for any retaliation by the two sides, the assistant police director stated that "we had taken measures to guard the specific area for 24 hours, as well as patrol coverage", noting, however, that "it is not possible to permanently guard the property of specific persons".
He stressed that the police presence in this area has already been intensified and will continue.
As for the victim of the attempted murder, it is a person who operates in Limassol and is the owner of a luxury vehicle. As Mr. Kyriakou noted, all aspects of the case are being investigated, while his condition remains serious.
He is being treated by intubation in the Intensive Care Unit, with the treating doctors appearing cautiously optimistic.
Asked about information that two of the three persons were in possession of electric discharge devices, Mr. Kyriakou said that these are very serious offenses.
He stressed that the Police immediately proceeded with investigations, the involvement of a suspect was found, arrest warrants were issued and the investigations continue.
As he noted, the fact that those involved were allegedly armed with such devices has been investigated from the first moment, underlining that in checks and arrests, offensive weapons are often found on persons moving in the city.
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Two Egyptians were sentenced to prison today (23/12) by the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court, after their admission to charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor with mental weakness, in a park in Limassol. The horrific events of the shocking case took place during 2024 and were revealed thanks to the immediate intervention of citizens who alerted the Police.
Through its decision, the Court highlighted the gravity of the offenses, the serious consequences for the minor victim and the urgent need to strictly and dissuasively address such behaviours, with a view to protecting children and their fundamental rights.
The Limassol Criminal Court sentenced the accused to 2 years in prison, while the accused was sentenced to 3 years in prison. The Court also issued a supervision order against the two defendants by the Supervisory Authority for a period of 2 years. Another person is accused in the case, who does not admit involvement in the case and a hearing has been set for early 2026.
According to the facts, the minor at the time of the commission of the offenses was 16.5 years old. According to relevant evaluations, she had elements of ADHD, psycho-emotional difficulties, vulnerability to various risks, immaturity, impulse to behave, and then it was found that her mental abilities fall within a lower normal level than her peers. From examinations and evaluation carried out in 2023 by a child psychiatrist, it was found that she had an incipient psychotic disorder.
Defendant 2 arrived legally in the Republic of Cyprus and after the expiration of his residence and work permit he joined the voluntary return program. Defendant 3 had been residing illegally in the Republic of Cyprus since November 2023.
The incidents in question took place in a park in Limassol to which the minor went on foot. There defendant 3 approached her and told her that he wanted to have sex with her. What is included in the facts of the case is shocking since the defendants took advantage of the vulnerable position of the 16-year-old Greek Cypriot and had sexual contact with her by force. The heinous acts took place in a park in the Limassol area during the afternoon hours.
The minor was very shocked and asked for help from a couple who were nearby, who took her to the Police and after her parents were notified, a relevant complaint was filed. After the minor went with members of the Police to the park in question, she recognized defendant 2, who was pursued, but his arrest was not successful.
The day after the incident, after being informed about the place of residence of the accused and before their arrival there, members of the Police located defendant 2 on a nearby road, who pointed to the house where he lived and where defendant 3 was located. On the same day, defendants 2 and 3 were identified by the minor and arrest warrants were issued against them. Following their arrest, defendant 3 stated that the minor told him that she was 20 years old and defendant 2 that she told him that she was 22 years old. Both stated that they realized that the minor had some kind of intellectual disability.
After a forensic examination, a rupture of the minor's hymen was found. After examinations, it was also found that there was genetic material of defendants 2 and 3 in various parts of the minor's body and underwear. Furthermore, footage from closed surveillance circuits was obtained in which the movements of both the minor and defendants 2 and 3 were recorded, as described by the minor.
During her evaluation by a special clinical psychologist of the Children's Home, the minor reported that she felt "terrible", fear, her sleep had been affected due to repeated involuntary and penetrating thoughts of sexual content that caused discomfort as well as palpitations when recalling the incidents and trying to avoid stimuli that reminded them. In other words, she showed mental disorders related to the reported incidents and it was found that they make her a high-risk child for re-victimization and the development of further psychopathology in the future.
The Court emphasized the seriousness of the offenses committed by defendants 2 and 3 and the need for the imposition of dissuasive penalties due to the escalation observed. It was pointed out that they were offenses of a sexual nature, directed against young persons, and become particularly serious, noting that the protection of children and their fundamental rights is of significant importance, since offenses of this nature crush their mental world and humiliate their personality.
The Court noted that both defendants not only ignored the vulnerable position of the minor, but having realized her condition, exploited and sexually abused her, while under the circumstances her reports in relation to her age should have troubled them.
The Court took into account, as an aggravating factor, the difference in age between the defendants and the minor, the pre-planning of their actions, noting, however, their different way of acting and, in relation to defendant 2, the nature of the abuse he committed in relation to the violence in his actions. The Court took into account as a particularly aggravating factor the consequences that the behaviour and actions of defendants 2 and 3 had on the minor.
In relation to the offense of the illegal stay of defendant 3 in the Republic, the Court pointed out its seriousness and the need for strict treatment of the offenders, taking into account the relevant period, for which it noted that it cannot be described as short. As mitigating factors, the Court took into account the clean criminal record of defendants 2 and 3, as well as their personal, financial and family circumstances, noting, however, that the seriousness of the offences, the need for deterrence and the great importance of the good that the law wants to protect, namely the child, are factors that make personal and family circumstances of secondary importance.
The admission of defendants 2 and 3 was also taken into account, which, as the Court pointed out, in this type of case was of increased importance, since the risk of re-victimization and mental suffering of the minor victim is avoided.
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What is published in the Israeli media about the brutal beating of an Israeli in a hotel in Limassol because he spoke in Hebrew is not true, police sources say, noting that the incident involved a fight with his compatriots.
The Israeli publications, which have been circulating on the internet since yesterday, refer to a brutal beating of a young Israeli, on the basis of what his father complains to MKD, according to which, the attack was carried out by people who heard him speak in Hebrew at the entrance of the hotel. According to the reports, the young man has returned to Israel where he underwent surgery on the eye, which he is in danger of losing.
Police sources said that "what is written is not true" and that the incident took place between Israelis, during an event at the hotel. The Israeli allegedly had a fight with his compatriots and stated in writing that he has no complaints," it added.
The case is being examined by the Episkopi Police Station.
