Filenews 30 January 2026
The detention process of the police officer who was arrested yesterday is taking place behind closed doors, after he allegedly handed over his mobile phone to a person who was detained at a Police Station for the bloody case of fighting and shooting in Larnaca on January 17.
The representative of the Prosecuting Authority invoked an article of law for the protection of the official duty of the members of the Service and requested that the process be conducted behind closed doors.
The request provoked a strong reaction from the police officer's defense attorney, Paris Loizou, who asked for an open procedure to be held and fired heavily at the Police. Mr. Loizou wondered why the person requesting a closed-door procedure leaked yesterday for a member of the police information included in the request for detention. He also spoke of an attempt to create a sense of fear and surrounding atmosphere through leaks to the media by the Police.
After a fifteen-minute break, the court accepted the request for a closed-door procedure, noting that this was done for the non-publication of the action of the Service's duties.
It is recalled that the police officer is suspected of offenses related to abuse of power, deceit and abuse of trust by a public official, transfer of a mobile phone or portable means of communication to police detention centers, neglect of official duty, violation of official secrecy / disclosure of state secrecy, disobedience to the provisions of laws imposing a duty, desecration of a public official, transactions with representatives which indicate corruption (according to the Prevention of Corruption Law) and unlawful acquisition of property benefit.
The suspect serving in ADE Larnaca was arrested by the Internal Audit Service of the Police. The mobile phone seems to have been given to the 48-year-old with Cypriot citizenship, who is alleged to be the head of the criminal group that asked for money for protection from a businessman on Grigoris Afxentiou Avenue. This person, along with 4 other foreigners, was referred on Wednesday to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca and was then transferred to the Central Prison as a defendant.
The incident took place before the defendant was brought to trial, during his detention at a Larnaca Police Station. According to the police, its member, while performing guard duty in police detention centers, allegedly gave his personal mobile phone to a detainee, who made a number of calls. The police officer allegedly, in fact, gave his mobile phone to the detainee on more than one occasion. When the information reached the Police, closed surveillance circuits of the Police Station were put under the microscope and it was decided that the police officer should be arrested, while instructions were given to suspend him.
The police officer's mobile phone has been confiscated and sent for forensic inspection, in order to determine who the prisoner made phone calls to.
This member, who serves in the Larnaca Police Department, is being investigated for the following offenses: 1. Abuse of power. 2. Deceit and abuse of trust by a public official. 3. Transfer of a mobile phone or portable means of communication to the police detention centers. 4. Neglect of official duty. 5. Violation of official secrecy/disclosure of state secrets. 6. Disobedience to provisions of laws that impose a duty. 7. Tenure of a public official. 8. Transactions with agents that indicate corruption (according to the Prevention of Corruption Law). 9. Unlawful acquisition of property benefit.
Update - After a long process, the police officer who was arrested yesterday by the Internal Control Service of the Police, after allegedly handing over his mobile phone to a person detained at a Police Station for the bloody case of fighting and shooting in Larnaca on January 17, was remanded in custody for four days, in a closed-door procedure
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They signed agreements, paid advances, received receipts and waited to receive the houses they had been promised. Two years later, the properties turned out to be a ghost and the money had gone up in smoke. Thus, according to the complaints, the 50-year-old suspect allegedly methodically set a well-set trap from 2023 against two complainants from Limassol. He presented himself to them as a real estate businessman, extorting total amounts of money exceeding €180,000.
Two cases are being investigated against the 50-year-old, as Filenews is informed. The suspect not only deceived the 70-year-old pensioner, from whom he extorted the sum of €58.400 for the purchase of a house in the village of Doros in the Limassol district, but also a professor from Limassol, from whom he allegedly extorted the amount of €128.300 for the purchase of a house in the area of Ekali.
According to what the investigator of the TAE Limassol presented today (29/1) before the Limassol Court, requesting the pre-trial detention of the suspect, the second complaint concerns a professor, who contacted the suspect in June 2023 to buy a house in Ekali. The 50-year-old presented himself as the owner of a real estate development company (properties) and claimed that for this particular house, he was in the process of buying it, with the sale price being €146.000.
The complainant agreed to proceed with the purchase and signed a relevant sales contract, initially paying the amount of €8,000 as a deposit. Other payments followed, as a result of which large sums of money were paid to the 50-year-old in total. Although a long time passed from the date of conclusion of the contract and suspicions began to arise, the 50-year-old allegedly reassured the complainant, claiming that the purchase of the property would be completed through a property management company. However, two years later, nothing was delivered, even though the complainant had paid a total of €146,000, receiving receipts.
As it was finally established by the complaining professor, the house from December 2023 belonged to another person, while the suspect continued to extort money until October 2025 for a property that did not belong to him.
In the case of the 70-year-old pensioner, the fraud seems to have been even greater. At the beginning of January 2026, the complainant went with the 50-year-old to the Land Registry to transfer the property, however, the suspect claimed that the act could not be completed, due to the owner's outstanding debt. He even assured the pensioner that he would return the money, which never happened.
After the 70-year-old's complaint, investigations were carried out to determine if the property was mortgaged, which was not confirmed. The pensioner also met with the real owner of the house, who told him that he lives in it, never intended to sell his house, nor had he mortgaged the property or received a loan.
The 50-year-old, after his arrest, gave a statement making various allegations, which are being investigated. The Court issued a five-day detention order against him, for the purpose of investigating the case. Another 17 statements are expected to be taken in the case, while searches will be carried out in bank accounts in Cyprus and Greece, where the suspect allegedly lives and maintains professional activities. The suspect is being investigated for the offenses of extortion of money by false representations, money laundering and fraudulent transactions in real estate belonging to another person.
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The Police arrested six people and confiscated six vehicles in relation to different serious crimes.
The dynamic and targeted preventive operations of the Police continued during last night, with an enhanced presence in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
As part of these operations, the Police proceeded to arrest a total of six persons on a nationwide basis, for cases involving serious criminal and other offenses.
The arrests concerned various offenses, including illegal stay in the Republic, illegal possession of property, failure to appear before a court, assault on a police officer, etc.
At the same time, as part of the investigation of traffic offenses, six vehicles were detained.
During the same night, extensive inspections were also carried out on a number of premises (34), with the aim of preventing and suppressing delinquent behaviour in a timely manner.
As far as the road network is concerned, more than 350 checks were carried out, from which more than 110 complaints of traffic violations emerged, of which 33 concerned exceeding the speed limit, while two drivers were found to be driving under the influence of drugs.
These operations are part of a broad, continuous and strengthened preventive plan of the Police, with an increased police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action in all provinces, with the aim of preventing crime and strengthening the sense of security of citizens.
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A former community leader and three former members of the Paliometochos community council were sentenced to suspended imprisonment, who admitted three charges related to abuse of power by a public official.
They admitted that they hired the brother-in-law of the community president, that they paved 52 private passages, of which 16 belonged to relatives of the community president, and that they gave work to a son-in-law of a member of the council without a call for tenders and in the presence of the community councillor-relative. Their actions were described by their lawyer as "groceries" and it was emphasized that they had no own benefit.
The case concerns the years 2007 and 2011 and investigations were carried out by the Police, while the case was registered with the Nicosia District Court in 2019. After a series of postponements, it became final in 2026. The long period of time that passed was taken seriously into account in the criminal treatment of the four defendants. It is noted that two other former members of the Community Council were in the indictment, but for one there was a suspension of criminal prosecution, while for the other the case is pending.
The four admitted acts involving abuse of power as follows:
First: Between the years 2007 and 2014, defendant 1 was a community leader and defendants 2, 4 and 5 were members of the Community Council of the community of Paliometochos. Following a complaint, an investigation was carried out on the basis of which it was revealed that the said defendants appointed the sibling of defendant 1 (community president) to a permanent position in the Community Council of Paliometochos. The issue began with a decision taken on 9.9.2009 following, initially, a call for tenders for the purchase of office services.
The sibling of defendant 1 submitted the lowest and was awarded. Then, on 31.8.2010, the said Defendants renewed the employment of the sibling of Defendant 1, but without any reference to an extension and, finally, on 26.1.2011 they hired her in a permanent position to perform the duties of a clerk. But instead of hiring her as a clerk, they hired her as a general assistant for an hourly wage, i.e. a worker, a position that could be filled directly by the community council. All of the above took place in sessions, in the presence of defendant 1 and without obtaining any approval from the District Administration or the Ministry of the Interior.
Second: Around the year 2007, defendants 1, 2, 4 and 5, in the capacities described above, decided to asphalt private rights of way, which do not serve public utility purposes, which they implemented between the years 2009 and 2010 by paying a total amount of €270,018 to a private company, to which the project was awarded directly without the legal tender procedure. 16 of the 52 crossings included in the project belonged to relatives of the community leader.
Third: Defendants 1, 2, 4 and 5, in the capacities described above, on 29.1.2008, awarded a tender, the value of which exceeded the maximum limit for which no notice is required, to a relative of another member of the Community Council, at a meeting where the member in question was present. The two bids received by the community council on the above issue came from bidders who were both related to each other, but also, as I mentioned above, related to the mentioned member of the community council. The amount paid to the "successful candidate" amounted to €7005.21.
According to their lawyer, the defendants did not derive any benefit and that the offenses were committed due to frivolity – he called them "groceries" – and that the defendants made mistakes and were under erroneous perceptions of the applicable regulations.
It was the finding of the district judge P. Agapitos, that the abuse of power to carry out arbitrary acts does not cease, regardless of whether it aims or ends in obtaining one's own benefit, to be an offense that involves the element of entanglement and the promotion of clientelism and favouritism. "In a well-governed society, citizens must be treated equally by public officials. Offences, such as the one in question, undermine citizens' trust in the rule of law, create the impression that there are citizens of various speeds and erode the social fabric. Those who hold public positions and offices have an additional duty to preserve the integrity of the institutions they serve and at the same time to prove in practice that modern societies are based on meritocracy, while at the same time to reject – again in practice – opacity and nepotism, phenomena that have, in most cases, even disastrous consequences", notes the judge.
Following these findings, he sentenced the defendants to three, five and two months in prison respectively for each charge, with the sentences being concurrent. However, the Court recognized that the commission of the offenses was a black spot in the lives of the accused, which is why it decided to give them a second chance and, "without in any way downplaying the seriousness of the offenses, I consider that the present case is appropriate for me to exercise my discretion in favor of the suspension of the execution of the prison sentences".
Thus, the execution of the prison sentences was suspended for a period of three years from 27/1/2026.
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Large quantities of duty-free tobacco products were found and confiscated today 29/01, following an inspection carried out by members of the Traffic Police Headquarters in a commercial vehicle with Turkish Cypriot registration numbers, on the Limassol-Larnaca highway, at the height of Kofinou.
The vehicle was stopped for traffic violations and during the inspection of its storage area, cardboard boxes containing large quantities of hookah and roll-your-own cigarette tobacco were found. The packages did not bear the prescribed health effects markings in Greek and Turkish, which showed that they were duty-free products.
Officials of the Customs Department were called to the scene, who undertook the counting and confiscation of the tobacco. Specifically, 12 packages of one kilogram and 24 packages of 250 grams of hookah tobacco, with a total weight of 18 kilograms, as well as 120 packages of 50 grams of rolled cigarette tobacco, with a total weight of six kilograms, were confiscated.
The Turkish Cypriot driver of the vehicle was arrested for flagrante delicto, while the vehicle was also confiscated as a means of transporting smuggled tobacco products. She was then released, after her request for an out-of-court settlement was accepted, with the payment of an amount of €6,500, as well as an additional €500 for the return of the vehicle.
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The case of the Central Prison documents was postponed to February 9, so that the eight defendants could respond to their charges against them.
Through the lawyers, these defendants raised an issue with the Prosecution Authority, so that the 48.432 documents should be handed over, so that they would know what they are accused of.
On February 9, a response will be given by the Prosecuting Authority.
In the same proceedings, Athena Demetriou's lawyer, Sotiris Argyrou, filed a preliminary objection, arguing that the proceedings against her should be terminated because she had filed a complaint in 2022 together with Anna Aristotelous (against Police officer Michalis Katsounotos).
The process is still ongoing.
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The 49-year-old, who was accused of shooting at the house of a 52-year-old Greek Cypriot, in Agios Nikolaos, committed on January 26, 2025, was found innocent of all charges today by the Limassol Criminal Court. The Criminal Court ruled, as stated in the decision, that there was a lingering doubt as to the guilt of the accused.
The Criminal Court acquitted the accused after a hearing on charges of possession and transport of a category B firearm, i.e. one pistol, without permission from the Chief of Police (1st and 2nd category respectively), as well as possession and transport of explosives, i.e. two full cartridges of a 9 mm caliber firearm, without permission from the Inspector of Explosives (3rd and 4th category respectively).
He also acquitted the defendant of the charges that he deliberately discharged a firearm within a residential area (5th category) and that he deliberately and illegally caused damage to a window of a residence, property of the complainant (6th category).
The offenses, according to the indictment, were committed on 26.1.2025.
To prove the charges, the prosecution called 11 prosecution witnesses, while the defense called a defense witness.
According to the findings of the Court, on 26.1.2025 at 05:25, an unknown person, having his head covered with a hood and wearing gloves, after parking the vehicle near the complainant's house, approached the house on foot, pulled a pistol from a waist bag and shot twice at it. The bullets hit the window, causing damage. The perpetrator then ran back to his vehicle and drove away. His movements were recorded by closed surveillance circuits. In the house at that moment were the complainant, his wife, their son and another person.
The pistol used was found a few months later hidden in the grave of the accused's mother. The perpetrator's vehicle was of the same make and type as the vehicle driven by the accused.
The reasoning of the decision
First, the Prosecution claims that, according to the testimony submitted, the perpetrator was driving a vehicle of the same brand as the accused. However, the color of the vehicle remains, according to MK11's testimony, unknown. In addition, inside the accused's vehicle, according to the report of the State Chemical Laboratory, no remnants of a weapon were found.
Second, the Prosecuting Authority cites the fact that the pistol used by the perpetrator was found months later hidden in the grave of the accused's mother. However, according to MK9's testimony, the cemetery "can be accessed by anyone", while the Police did not check if there were cameras.
Third, the pistol was not connected to the accused through any testimony. Fourth, the Prosecuting Authority claims that gloves and duct tape were found in the accused's vehicle. However, they were not interconnected, according to the State Chemical Laboratory report, with the gloves and adhesive tape used in committing the shooting.
Under the circumstances, the Criminal Court held that there was a reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused.
In conclusion, it is noted that "having regard to the established jurisprudence of criminal law, according to which cases of the guilt of the accused are not allowed, no matter how reasonable they may seem, the Criminal Court acquitted the accused on all charges".
The accused was represented by lawyers Maria Nikolaou and Naya Panagiotou
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The 28-year-old father of the three-month-old infant, who is still being treated in the ICU of Makarios Hospital after he was found to be suffering from Shaken Baby Syndrome, is expected to be released tomorrow, Saturday.
The father of the infant, of Syrian origin, has been detained since last Tuesday by the Nicosia Police Department, on suspicion of serious offenses in relation to the injury of his son, since he seems to have been alone with the child when he suffered the brain problem. According to information from philenews, although the investigators' investigations continue, however, the father will be released pending their completion, when there will be a clearer picture.
As reported to us by the Police, cases of this nature are difficult to prove, since there is no direct testimony involving persons. Here are the doctors' reports that the child was diagnosed with shaken infant syndrome, however, no one can determine how much shaking it took to cause it. As we were told as an example, one child may be injured by a relatively small shake, while another by a much more violent one.
Investigators are expected to take a statement from the father today, but he insists he never violently shook his child. It is expected that the case file as soon as the examinations are completed and the investigators of the TAE have all the reports of the doctors before them, to forward it to the Legal Service for study and instructions. This was also the case with other similar cases involving infants where the testimony was not clear.
In the meantime, the child's condition remains stable but critical and it is estimated that he will eventually be released from the Intensive Care Unit soon. His mother and other relatives are by his side, while it is clarified by the police that the earlier report made in relation to the family did not concern an incident of violence.
It is noted that the offenses being investigated against the 28-year-old father are causing grievous bodily harm, exposing a child, mistreating a child under 16 and other negligent acts aimed at causing bodily harm.
The infant had been transferred a week ago to Makareio, where it was found that he had a hematoma in the brain, underwent surgery and is being treated by intubation in critical condition.
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The 5 Greek Cypriots aged 42, 22, 31, 29 and 29, who are alleged to be members of a criminal group providing "protection" to businesses in Larnaca, were referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca that will meet on March 19.
The five face serious charges of participation in a criminal organization, participation and acceptance of the commission of crimes, conspiracy to commit a felony, demand of property with threats for the purpose of theft, extortion, money laundering as well as acquisition and possession of firearms. The proceedings continue before the court and are expected to be long, after the defense attorneys of the accused objected to their detention.
It is recalled that for the alleged action of the criminal network, videos were found on two mobile phones, which were confiscated during the arrest of a 22-year-old Contracted Soldier of the National Guard, who is on trial for the attempted murder on July 31 against a 47-year-old businessman. It is noted that the businessman in question was referred to trial for interfering in a judicial process, in relation to the case of the shooting in the center of Larnaca on Saturday, January 17 and was released on parole.
The 19 videos found on the mobile phones depict various incidents from 2023-2025, in which the 22-year-old allegedly showed large sums of money and hid items, which are believed to be quantities of drugs. As it was said in court during the detention process of the five, the 22-year-old undertrial allegedly trafficked drugs with the proceeds ending up with the 42-year-old. As far as the provision of protection is concerned, a video was found in which the SYOP appears to show off money from the collection of a specific nightclub in the Mackenzie area.
In the house of the 42-year-old, alleged head of the network, a notebook with names was also found, next to which sums of money were written. Meanwhile, the Police checked the declared financial data of the defendants and found, as the court was told, that they were not consistent with their ass
