Filenews 31 January 2026
In a work accident that happened around 3.00 yesterday afternoon in a rural area of Kofinou, Finis Alexandru, 55 years old from Romania, lost his life.
Specifically, while a 51-year-old man was engaged in the unloading of concrete counterweights weighing 2-3 tons each, using a crane installed on a truck, under circumstances that are being investigated, the truck overturned to the right, as a result of which the unfortunate 55-year-old who was on the truck, fell to the ground and was injured by a concrete counterweight.
Alexandru was taken by ambulance to Larnaca General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Members of the Police, as well as officials of the Labour Inspection Department, conducted examinations at the scene. As part of the investigation, the 51-year-old was arrested on a court warrant and taken into custody.
The Regional Police Station of Kofinou in collaboration with the Labour Inspection Department continues the examinations.
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The 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 nine people. Specifically, one person was arrested in connection with a case of domestic violence, one person for spontaneous offenses of causing concern, drunkenness, and assault against police officers, one person for spontaneous offenses of drug possession, three persons for the offense of illegal stay in the territory of the Republic, as well as three persons related to court fine warrants. Also, during the night, 458 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 569 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 47 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of preventing and suppressing delinquent behaviour.
From the traffic checks carried out, 140 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, including 29 complaints for driving under the influence of alcohol, while 40 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
As part of the police examinations, 12 vehicles were detained.
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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On 28/1/2026, officials of the Customs Department at Paphos Airport, after evaluating information, proceeded to check the luggage of a passenger with British citizenship, who was going to travel to Manchester, United Kingdom.
During the inspection of the luggage of the passenger in question, 65 boxes of 200 cigarettes each were found, the packages of which did not bear markings for the harmful to health in the Greek and Turkish languages, indicating that they are duty-free.
The passenger was arrested for flagrante delicto, while the luggage with their contents was confiscated. The next day he was taken to the Paphos District Court which issued a 4-day detention order to facilitate the investigative work undertaken by the Paphos Customs.
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Evidence of Greek Cypriot-owned properties in the province of Kyrenia, in which illegal tourist developments have been erected, was presented on Friday before the Criminal Court in Nicosia by Marina Savva, Assistant Officer of the Kyrenia Land Registry, who was invited as a witness by the Prosecution in the case of usurpation of property against the German real estate agent, Eva Isabella Kuunzel.
As part of her examination, Ms. Savva presented details of the plots and their owners, while answering a question from the representative of the Prosecuting Authority, Anna Mattheou, she stated that in the area where the developments have been erected, there are no registered Turkish Cypriot properties, according to the data of the Kyrenia Land Registry.
Ms. Savva explained that after the war of 1974 and especially during the 1980s, the Land Registry began to accept declarations from displaced people for the registration of their real estate in the register. He also clarified, in the context of the examination, that in the event that a pre-war title deed was not presented, which was the case as some displaced persons did not have them at their disposal, the registration was made on 1/1/1974, thus declaring the original owner.
During the examination of the witness, maps and aerial photographs from a satellite were used concerning the areas of the province of Kyrenia, Agios Ambrosios and Kalograia, where the illegal developments are located, with the witness citing data from the Land Registry regarding the numbers of the affected plots, the owners to whom they correspond, their location and area.
From the data presented by Ms. Savva, it appears that the affected properties extend to an area of more than 35,000 square meters in the locations of Agios Sinti, Kokkinochorafa and Petra Steti of Agios Ambrosios, Kyrenia, and correspond to several owners, while there is also a small number of undeclared properties. Following a question by the Lawyer of the Republic, Ms. Savva clarified that there were no registered Turkish Cypriot property owners in the area of Agios Sintis, according to the data that emerged from the Land Registry investigation.
Finally, Ms. Mattheou raised questions about the procedures related to conducting a search in the Land Registry for a property. Ms. Savva stated that someone can request an investigation, provided that they have a legitimate interest. If this is established, a search certificate is issued by the Land Registry, the witness added. He also clarified that anyone who intends to sell a property has the right to proceed with an investigation.
Answering a question from the Lawyer of the Republic about how someone who submits a request for an investigation, which is rejected because there is no consent from the owner of the property, is informed, Ms. Savva said that the person who has requested the search is informed that the request cannot proceed and that he is also informed of the reason why this cannot be done.
Upon completion of the main examination of the witness, the proceedings were interrupted to continue with a cross-examination by the defense of the German real estate agent, on February 4 at 9:00 a.m.
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Another case similar to the one concerning the Mayor of Paphos, Phaedon Phedonos, comes to the fore.
In particular, the focus is on the mayor of an occupied municipality, who was elected during the 2024 municipal elections. As it turns out, the alleged commission of the offenses is placed in the period 2019-2023. The complaints filed against him are related to cases of domestic violence and have been investigated by the competent authorities.
The case has already been referred to a Court, with the start of the hearing set for March 2026. At the same time, new complaints were filed against him, which are under investigation.
In the meantime, the Ministry of the Interior has sent a relevant letter to the Legal Service, asking to consider the possibility of suspending it.
