Filenews 5 June 2026
The presence and action of the Police last night was intense, throughout Cyprus, with organized patrols in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, ensuring public order and increasing the sense of security of the public.
As a result of the preventive police operations, seven persons were arrested for various offenses, such as arson, failure to appear in court, possession of burglary tools, etc.
As part of these operations, during the night, 511 drivers and 131 passengers were stopped and checked. At the same time, 41 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, where eight complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 238 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while six investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 96 driver complaints for exceeding the speed limit stand out, while as part of the police examinations, four vehicles were detained. 76 alcohol tests were carried out, which resulted in two complaints, while two drivers tested positive in preliminary drug tests.
Policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an increased/enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, with the aim of increasing the sense of security of citizens/protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
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A 44-year-old man was arrested yesterday, by virtue of a court warrant, to facilitate investigations into investigated offenses of arson and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The offenses in question were committed in Limassol on 01/06/2026. Specifically, a fire broke out at 2.50 a.m. in a betting agency, owned by a 40-year-old man. As part of the investigation of the case, the Police proceeded in the previous days to arrest two other persons to facilitate the investigations, who are under eight-day detention.
The TAE Limassol continues the exams
Update - The case of the arson of a betting agency in Germasogeia is taking on new dimensions, as the Police investigations unravel a wider tangle of cases related to threats, blackmail, arson and arson attempts in Limassol. The authorities are examining testimonies that link a convict of the Central Prison and his wanted accomplice with a series of threats, blackmail and arson aimed at businessmen in the city.
After the arrest of two 20-year-old Syrians, investigators link the case to five more serious cases recorded in recent months, with the victims being a 40-year-old businessman, a 58-year-old, his two sons aged 34 and 23, as well as a 54-year-old businessman, who is active in the investment sector.
According to the evidence presented before the Limassol District Court, behind the threats and criminal actions appear to be financial disputes related to cooperation that the wanted person allegedly had with the complainants, as well as monetary demands that reach the amount of €300,000.
A 44-year-old Syrian convict was arrested yesterday in connection with the case, who is being held in the Central Prison, while another person is wanted. The Court today approved a request by the investigators of the TAE Limassol and ordered the five-day detention of the 44-year-old for the purpose of facilitating the investigations.
The testimony of one of the two 20-year-old Syrians, who are in custody, is considered crucial. As we wrote in a publication the day before yesterday, this particular suspect admitted his participation in the arson of the betting agency and named both his co-defendant and the 44-year-old convict as the person who gave instructions from the Central Prisons.
According to his testimony, the convict sent the two 20-year-olds the locations of the targets and promised them a reward of 1.000 euros if they completed the arson actions. According to a 20-year-old, the two proceeded to set fire to the betting agency, however, they did not carry out the second planned attack on a luxury car junkyard, as he was scared.
The investigations were extended to earlier cases of arson and threats, reported by Limassol businessmen. Among them are the throwing of Molotov cocktails at a car sales office in Agios Tychonas, which was committed on February 23, 2026, the arson of luxury vehicles worth more than 160.000 euros, committed on March 4, as well as a series of threatening messages via WhatsApp and Telegram, both to the 54-year-old company owner and to the 40-year-old owner of the agency.
The Police are also in possession of messages, in which the complainants claim that they were asked for sums of money amounting to €100,000 and €200,000, while threats were made in case of non-payment.
During the searches carried out the day before yesterday in the Central Prisons, a mobile phone was located and confiscated in Ward 2B and in a specific cell, in the presence of the 44-year-old suspect. The examination of its contents revealed, according to the Police, photos of premises that were allegedly targeted, including the premises for the sale of luxury vehicles, area mapping data, as well as communications and messages sent in March and which are allegedly related to the criminal actions under investigation.
The examinations of the TAE Limassol are in full swing, with the Police having already secured a court arrest warrant for a second person wanted. Dozens more testimonies are expected to be taken for the case, telecommunications data will be analyzed and scientific examinations will be carried out on the seized evidence.
In addition, scenes are expected to be shown by one of the three arrested, while investigators continue their efforts to locate closed surveillance circuits in the areas where the perpetrators of the arson were trafficked.
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A 30-year-old man was arrested yesterday and taken into custody, to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of illegal possession of anabolic substances.
He is a Probationary Police Officer, whose arrest was preceded by a search by virtue of a court warrant at his home, in Nicosia, where 69 vials, which appear to contain an anabolic substance, were located and confiscated.
On the instructions of the Chief of Police, the procedures have begun so that the specific member of the Police is suspended.
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He does not admit the charge of premeditated murder in the case of the death of young Alexandros Antoniou, the 58-year-old defendant replied, during the proceedings, on Friday, before the Permanent Criminal Court, which meets in Paphos.
The 58-year-old was transferred shortly after 09:00 in the morning from the Central Prison, where he is in custody, to the Court under strict security measures, while the room was packed with relatives, friends and citizens who are following the case.
During the proceedings, the representative of the Prosecuting Authority, Senior Lawyer of the Republic Andreas Hadjikirou, called on the accused to answer the two charges he faces, namely premeditated murder and stabbing.
The 58-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge of premeditated murder against Alexandros Antoniou, while admitting the charge of carrying a knife. Specifically, he admitted that he carried an orange knife outside his house and yard, which, according to the case of the Prosecuting Authority, was used for the fatal blow against the young man.
The defendant's defense attorney, lawyer Ilias Stefanou, stated before the Court that his client does not accept the claim of premeditation, arguing that the real facts are not disputed, however the defense's position is that the case is about homicide and not premeditated murder.
"We do not dispute the facts that are before the Criminal Court, but there was no premeditation," said Mr. Stefanou.
On the part of the Prosecuting Authority, which claims that there was a preliminary study for the murder of the young man, it was again requested that the accused remain in custody until the start of the hearing, with Mr. Hadjikyrou citing the seriousness of the offenses faced by the 58-year-old, saying that human life is the highest good. At the same time, reference was made to the risk of the accused not appearing before the Court.
The Criminal Court accepted the request of the Prosecuting Authority and ordered that the 58-year-old remain in custody. At the same time, he set the case for a hearing on October 13, 2026 at 09:30.
In the meantime, the Prosecution has already submitted to the Court all the evidence in its possession. These include video footage of the incident, as well as expert reports, which are expected to be presented during the hearing.
The representative of the Prosecuting Authority handed over to the Court the videos in question and the relevant reports, while on the part of the defense, the law office of Ilias Stefanou did not object to the detention of the accused.
It is recalled that the case concerns the fatal injury of Alexandros Antoniou, which occurred on the afternoon of November 19, 2025 in the community of Konia in the province of Paphos.
According to the data of the case, genetic material found in the back of the driver's seat, where the victim was sitting, was identified by the Institute of Genetics and attributed to the 58-year-old accused.
At the same time, the forensic examination showed that the death of the young man was caused by a blow and stab with a cutting instrument in the area of the carotid artery.
After the non-admission to the main charge of premeditated murder, the case is now being taken to a full hearing.
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The six accused of the mafia murder of Stavros Demosthenous, which was committed on October 17, 2025 in Limassol, specifically near the victim's house, deny everything.
Yesterday's hearing before the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court was scheduled for the examination of preliminary objections by the defense of the accused. However, the defense attorneys withdrew the request at this stage, reserving the right to reinstate it at a later time. They then stated that their customers are ready to respond.
The Court called on the defendants to respond to the charges they face. The six defendants, two 30-year-olds, a 31-year-old, a 51-year-old and two 28-year-olds responded with a non-admission to the charges brought against them. The charges relate to premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to murder, arson, illegal possession, transportation and use of a firearm, as well as illegal possession, transportation and use of explosives, theft of a vehicle, participation in a criminal organization and theft (the latter charge concerns only the 51-year-old defendant). The list of witnesses includes more than 125 persons.
The process is still ongoing.
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Sixteen years after the purchase of marble for the construction of a luxury residence, the legal dispute between the owner and the supply company ended with the Court of Appeal confirming that the damage that occurred was not due to the quality of the materials, but to installation and humidity problems, rejecting claims for damages of more than €80,000 and maintaining the obligation to pay the outstanding balance of €13,093.43.
The case concerned an order of "Bianco Perlino" type marbles made in 2010 for the interior and exterior cladding of a house under construction. The marbles were delivered, checked by the buyer and installed by a contractor of his choice. According to the Court's findings, the initial result was satisfactory, however later alterations appeared on the outer marbles.
The company had filed a lawsuit, claiming a balance of debt of €13,093.43 for the supply of the materials, while the customer proceeded with a counterclaim, seeking damages of more than €80,000, claiming that the marbles were defective and required replacement.
The Court of First Instance had accepted the testimony of the company's experts and had concluded that the problems were not due to the quality of the marbles, but to exogenous factors related to the placement and management of humidity. On the contrary, it rejected the positions and expert opinions submitted by the owner.
In his appeal, the owner argued, among other things, that he was deprived of the opportunity to call an important witness, since the first-instance judge stated that he should be excluded from the case due to a personal relationship with the person in question. The Court of Appeal rejected the claim, pointing out that the judge acted correctly to ensure the impartiality of the proceedings and that ultimately the defense itself chose not to call the witness and continue the trial.
The Court of Appeal reiterated that it rarely interferes with the credibility findings of the court of first instance and considered that the evaluation of the experts' testimony was sufficiently reasoned. It adopted the conclusion that the internal and external marbles came from the same receipt and that only the external ones presented problems, which indicated the existence of an external cause and not a defective product.
According to the decision, the company's expert witnesses concluded that the wear was mainly due to moisture penetrating through the substrate and joints, as well as the absence of proper waterproofing during installation. The Court of Appeal found that the relevant testimonies were reliable and scientifically substantiated.
Rejecting all the main grounds of appeal, the Court upheld the first instance decision in favour of the company for the outstanding amount of €13,093.43. At the same time, it also rejected the company's cross-appeal regarding a claim for contractual interest of 9% per annum, ruling that it was not clearly proven which specific invoice remained unpaid, in order to determine the exact date of commencement of interest.
As a result, both the appeal and the cross-appeal were dismissed. The Court of Appeal awarded costs of €3,000 plus VAT in favour of the company for the appeal and €2,400 plus VAT in favour of the owner for the cross-appeal, ultimately ordering the offsetting of the costs between the two sides.
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Fourteen years after being diagnosed with liver cancer and after a lengthy legal battle with the state, a patient achieved a significant legal victory, as the Supreme Constitutional Court annulled the refusal of the Republic to cover the costs of his treatment abroad, amounting to almost €68,000. The Court considered that there was evidence that could demonstrate a lack of investigation and a possible error by the Administration as to whether the necessary surgery could actually be performed effectively in Cyprus, paving the way for a review of the case by the competent authorities.
The case concerns a man, who was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2012. Through his daughters, he submitted a request to the Ministry of Health to go abroad and undergo specialized tumour removal surgery, arguing that the doctors who performed similar operations in Cyprus did not have the required experience.
The competent Committee of Surgical Specialists had recommended the rejection of the request, judging that this treatment could be effectively provided in the Republic and specifically in the Nicosia General Hospital. Based on this recommendation, the Ministry of Health rejected the request. The patient finally underwent surgery at the London Clinic in August 2012 and then asked for the coverage of hospitalization and travel expenses, amounting to approximately €68,000.
After a series of court proceedings and a review of his request by the competent authorities, the Ministry of Health reiterated its negative position in 2015, based on a new opinion of the Committee of Experts. According to her, the operation could be performed in time in Cyprus by a specialized doctor with significant experience abroad.
During the hearing of his appeal before the Administrative Court, the patient attempted to provide new evidence concerning the qualifications and experience of the doctor in question. These included information from his professional profile on the LinkedIn platform and a letter from the surgeon who had performed the operation in London. The Administrative Court rejected the specific documents, considering that they had been drawn up after the issuance of the administrative decision and were not before the Administration when it made its decision.
The Supreme Constitutional Court disagreed with this approach. In its unanimous decision, it held that the court of first instance applied an absolute rule that is not supported by case law. As it is pointed out, new evidence can be accepted when it is relevant to the disputed issues and when it may indicate a possible error of the Administration as to the facts.
The Court emphasised that the documents in question were directly linked to the main issue of the case, namely whether the treatment could actually be effectively provided in Cyprus. In particular, it considered that the data on the training and experience of the doctor who was reported to be capable of performing the operation in the Republic could raise doubts about the correctness of the Administration's findings.
According to the Supreme Court, this new evidence reveals at first sight the possibility of an incomplete investigation and a possible error as to the facts of the case. For this reason, it considered that the matter should be re-examined by the Administration, which must evaluate the specific documents along with the rest of the evidence, in order to reach safe conclusions without remaining doubts.
The Supreme Constitutional Court upheld the relevant grounds of appeal, annulled the decision of the Ministry of Health as well as the first-instance decision of the Administrative Court, including the order on costs. At the same time, it awarded the appellant legal costs in the amount of €4,250 plus VAT, if paid.
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In a unanimous decision, the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court today sentenced a 39-year-old defendant to ten years in prison, who admitted the serious charges he was facing in connection with a possession case with the aim of supplying almost ten kilograms of cannabis.
In today's decision, the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court states that on October 16, 2024, members of the Police signalled a vehicle to the 39-year-old driver to stop for a check in the Zakaki area. However, the accused did not comply with the instructions of the authorities, developed speed and collided with official vehicles of YKAN Limassol, resulting in the overturning of one of them.
According to the decision, the accused, after managing to escape, entered an area controlled by the British Bases and, before stopping his vehicle, threw a quantity of cannabis weighing more than ten kilograms through the window. He then fled in an unknown direction. As stated in the Court's decision, the 39-year-old was handed over to the British Bases Authorities five months later, who then handed him over to the Cyprus Police.
It is further noted that the accused admitted that he was in possession of the said amount of drugs. At the same time, he revealed to the authorities the person from whom he received instructions for the delivery of the drugs in question, while he was going to receive the sum of €200 from his supplier as a fee for their transport. In determining the sentence, the Court took into account a number of mitigating factors, including the early admission of the accused, as well as other mitigating factors brought before it.
