Pafos Live 4/11
The arrest of a 37-year-old man, against whom an arrest warrant was pending for an investigated case of vehicle theft, was carried out today in the early hours of the morning by members of the Police in Paphos.
Specifically, shortly after 02:00 in the morning, members of the Police located in an open parking lot in the community of Tala, a parked car that had been declared stolen, yesterday morning.
At the same time, another car approached the area, the driver of which was given a signal to stop for a check. The driver, who was found to be the 37-year-old, did not comply and developed speed, trying to escape.
At one point, the 37-year-old abandoned the car and tried to escape on foot, however he was arrested by members of the Police. During the attempt to stop the vehicle, warning shots were fired.
Further examinations revealed that the 37-year-old was driving the vehicle without a registration certificate and without insurance coverage. He underwent a preliminary alcohol test with a positive reading of 69μg, while during the final test he did not provide a satisfactory exhalation sample.
Among other things, the offenses of vehicle theft, non-compliance with a police signal, reckless and dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as driving without a driver's license and without insurance coverage are being investigated.
The Paphos Police Department, in collaboration with the Paphos Traffic Police, continues the examinations.
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Members of the Anti-Human Trafficking Office (GEP) arrested a 37-year-old man yesterday, as part of an investigation into a case involving labour exploitation offenses, threat of violence and other related offenses.
Specifically, after information received regarding the possible labour exploitation of an elderly person, members of the GEP went to a livestock unit in the province of Nicosia, where they located a 73-year-old man dealing with the cleaning of the unit.
The 73-year-old was taken to the offices of the GEP, where he was treated as a possible victim of human trafficking. At the same time, a statement was taken from him regarding his working and living conditions in the specific area.
As part of the examinations and following a coordinated operation by the members of the GEP, in collaboration with members of the TAE and OPE Nicosia, they proceeded on the same day to arrest the 37-year-old owner of the livestock unit. At the same time, a search of the site was carried out on the basis of a court warrant, during which a number of items related to the offenses under investigation were received.
The arrested person was brought before the Nicosia District Court today, which issued a six-day detention order against him.
The Office for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings continues the examinations.
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Pafos Press - Geroskipou: Man responds to allegations involving 12-year-olds – “I have video; that’s not how it happened”
The man against whom the allegations were made has introduced a new perspective on the case involving two 12-year-olds in Geroskipou, presenting his own version of events from Halloween night through his lawyer.
In communication between his lawyer and PafosPress, the man rejects claims that he chased, struck, or attempted to force the two minors into his vehicle. He maintains that the events have been portrayed in a way that, according to him, does not reflect reality.
Furthermore, he states that he possesses video footage from his home security cameras—showing specific times and movements—which he intends to hand over to the Police, and which he claims corroborates his account.
“We heard a very loud bang on the door”. Describing the events leading up to the incident to PafosPress, the man stated that he was at home with his wife and their two-year-old child when, a few minutes past 8:00 PM, a very loud bang was heard at the front door.
He claims that he and his wife immediately went outside, but did not find anyone there.
Subsequently, he checked the footage from the home’s security cameras and observed two youths wearing hooded sweatshirts in front of the house.
According to his account, the video shows them taking a running start, banging loudly on the door, and immediately running away.
He states that the incident caused significant distress to him and his wife, as well as to their two-year-old child, who, he noted, began to cry. "I told them to go back and apologize"
According to his own account, he left the residence shortly thereafter to go to a kiosk and buy something to calm their baby down; on the way, he encountered the two minors.
He claims that he told them what they had done was wrong, informed them that their actions had been captured on camera, and suggested that they return to the residence to apologize.
He states that the two minors returned on foot about four minutes later, stood outside the residence, and offered an apology.
The man further maintains that there is a second video from that moment, which records the two minors returning to the residence.
At the same time, he disputes the claim that the two 12-year-olds were there as part of the "trick or treat" tradition, arguing that the footage in his possession shows no signs of them being in costume, nor—in his assessment—is there any indication of such an intent. This, however, is part of his own version of the incident, which he intends to present to the police. He denies hitting them or attempting to force them into his car.
The man categorically denies the most serious allegations made by the two 12-year-olds. "Under no circumstances did I hit them, nor did I force them to get into my car," he states through his lawyer, adding that he believes the material in his possession can substantiate his account.
As he informed PafosPress, he intends to present himself to the police tomorrow, Wednesday (04/11/26), to provide a statement and submit the audiovisual material to the investigators.
Furthermore, he states that he intends to file his own complaints regarding actions allegedly taken by both the minors and members of their families following the incident.
"I want my side of the story to be heard as well."
Explaining his decision to make his position public, the man notes that the incident and its aftermath have caused significant distress to his family. He maintains that he now feels compelled to prove that he did not commit the acts attributed to him. According to his account, the incident began while he and his family were at home, when a sudden, loud knock was heard at their door.
The matter is now before the police. There are significant discrepancies between the accounts provided by the two sides, and the assessment of audiovisual material—which the man states he will hand over to the authorities—is expected to be of particular importance.
PafosPress previously published the complaint lodged by the two 12-year-olds and their families; in the interest of presenting the perspectives of all involved parties fairly, the outlet is now recording the position of the other side. The investigation into the actual facts and any potential criminal liability rests with the competent authorities.
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A company specializing in sound and lighting services for events has reported the theft of professional equipment during a wedding.
According to a public post by the company, it was discovered that a piece of lighting equipment—part of the professional gear they had installed and were operating for the wedding—had gone missing.
The company describes the incident as particularly distressing, noting that such professional equipment represents significant costs, investments, and many hours of labour.
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Angelos Onisiforou, the Acting Mayor of Paphos, has issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the conduct of a group of approximately 12 adults from abroad. According to him, the individuals caused damage to public spaces while performing tricks and stunts on skateboards.
Mr. Onisiforou reports that, despite repeated warnings—and assurances from the group that they would leave—the individuals simply moved from one location to another. Their activities were ultimately documented in four separate areas within the Municipality of Paphos.
The Acting Mayor made no secret of his frustration, remarking pointedly that "some people have mistaken public spaces for skate parks or sets for YouTube videos."
The police have already been notified, and, according to Mr. Onisiforou, there is photographic and video evidence of the incidents.
Angelos Onisiforou further clarified that the issue is not about anyone’s national origin, but rather about the fundamental respect one owes to the place they are visiting.
"Municipal property belongs to all citizens; it is not a free-for-all," he emphasized, calling for accountability regarding the damage caused.
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Filenews
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, five persons were arrested for various offenses such as, conspiracy to commit a felony, burglary of a building and theft, illegal possession of property, dangerous and reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, theft of a vehicle and illegal stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
As part of these operations, during the night, 694 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 925 persons on board were checked. At the same time, inspections were carried out in 27 premises with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, without complaints arising.
During traffic checks carried out, 269 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while 10 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 111 concerned exceeding the speed limit, while as part of the police examinations, 3 vehicles were detained.
96 alcohol tests were carried out, from which 4 complaints emerged, as well as 4 preliminary drug tests with 1 positive result.
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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With his vehicle full of duty-free cigarettes and more than 130 kilograms of tobacco, a 26-year-old Turkish Cypriot was located in the area of Pyla.
On 2/11/2026, officials of the Customs Department of the Larnaca Customs were informed by members of the Larnaca OPE (Special Duties of Pyla) that after a search of a vehicle of a 26-year-old Turkish Cypriot in the area of Pyla in the province of Larnaca, large quantities of duty-free tobacco products were found.
Specifically, during the transition of the officers to the Oroklini Police Station, where the vehicle was transported, a total of 150 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, smoke for rolled cigarettes with a total weight of 68 kilograms and 400 grams and smoke for hookah with a total weight of 62 kilograms were counted and confiscated, the packaging of which did not bear the marking for the harmful effects of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, but neither did the security feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.
The suspect was arrested for flagrante delicto, while this morning he was brought before the Larnaca District Court, which issued a 3-day detention order. The seized tobacco products will follow the prescribed destruction procedure.
The case is being further investigated by the Larnaca Customs in cooperation with the Hellenic Petroleum Authority in the context of the joint efforts to combat the smuggling of tobacco products originating in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus.
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Five persons were placed in eight-day detention on the basis of a court order, for the purpose of investigating a case of aiding illegal entry, transit and stay in the Republic. These are five persons aged 27, 26, 22, 20 and 19, who were arrested by members of the Police, last night, in the Morphou area.
The five persons were identified by members of the Green Line Surveillance Sub-Directorate, shortly after 11.00 in the evening, during a patrol check in the area of Astromeritis - Peristerona. The members of the Police signalled to stop for a check, to the driver of the car in which the five persons were traveling, however the driver developed speed, trying to escape.
The members of the Police followed and stopped the vehicle and checked the 19-year-old driver, as well as the 27-year-old, 26-year-old, 20-year-old and 22-year-old, who were in the vehicle. From the examinations that followed, it was found that the four occupants of the vehicle were illegally in the Republic, while testimony emerged that they entered the occupied areas in the free areas shortly before they were located by the members of the Green Line Surveillance Sub-Directorate.
The five persons were arrested for flagrante delicto, while as part of the police examinations, they were also arrested on the basis of court warrants. This morning they appeared before the Nicosia District Court, which approved a request from the Police and issued a decree for their eight-day detention, for the purposes of police examinations.
The exams continue with the TAE of Morphou.
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A director of a tourism business, who had been accused by the families of two underage girls from the United Kingdom, of sexually harassing their children with heinous acts, was convicted today by the Criminal Court sitting in Paphos.
The two girls, at the time in question, had arrived in Cyprus for a vacation with the parents of one of the girls and were staying in a hotel unit located in the wider area of Paphos, when they had been sexually harassed by an executive of the tourist unit where they were staying.
They reported to the parents in a panic everything that happened, as a result of which they reported this serious case to the Police and the investigation of the incident began.
The convict, then 50 years old, committed his heinous act in July 2023, while the girls were 16 years old.
The conviction was announced today after the completion of the hearing and the Prosecution, was represented by the Senior Public Prosecutor, Xenia Xenophontos.
The whole process, due to its special nature and in order to protect the two girls from Great Britain, was carried out behind closed doors.
According to our information, on November 18, the lawyers of the convicted will speak before the Criminal Court for the mitigation of the sentence and the imposition of the sentence will follow.
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The Police are investigating a serious complaint about an incident of beating of an 11-year-old student, on Tuesday morning, in a primary school in Nicosia.According to the Police, the parents of the 11-year-old complained to the Police that, during school, four of her classmates allegedly attacked and beat her.
The 11-year-old student was taken to the hospital, where she received medical treatment and was then discharged.
As we were told, those involved are under 14 years old and therefore there is no criminal responsibility. The Ministry of Education and the SWS will be informed about the attack.
A new large-scale police control operation to combat illegal employment, illegal employment, undeclared work, as well as illegal stay in the territory of the Republic, was carried out today by the Police in the province of Limassol, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance. During today's control operation, the members of the Police proceeded to arrest 38 persons, third-country nationals.
Today's operation was carried out in a building complex under construction, in Limassol. It started at 9.00 in the morning and ended around noon. During the checks, the members of the Police proceeded to arrest 31 persons, who were found to be working illegally at the construction site. A case of illegal employment is being investigated against them.
Eight of the 31 persons were also found to be illegally in the Republic. A case of illegal stay in the Republic is also being investigated against them.
Employers of the 31 persons were found to be nine other persons. A case of illegal employment is being investigated against them.
During the police operation, the members of the Police proceeded to arrest seven more persons, whom they located in the wider area and found to be illegally in the Republic.
At the same time, the inspections carried out by the members of the Police, officials of the Inspection Service, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, found violations regarding the legislation on undeclared work, committed by the 31 persons who were working illegally in the factory, their nine employers, as well as another 12 persons, nationals of European countries. In a total of 52 persons, the officials of the Inspection Department issued notices of payment of administrative fines, totalling €180,000.
Members of the Aliens and Immigration Service – (YAM of the Headquarters and District Echelons), members of the Sub-Directorate of Green Line Surveillance and Dealing with Migration Flows, as well as officials of the Inspection Service participated in the operation.
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A 27-year-old food delivery man in Limassol was the victim of an attack by four people, when unknown persons riding two motorcycles forced him to stop and tried to extort money from him, hitting him with a bat and fists.
According to a complaint submitted to the Police, the incident took place around 23:20 last night, on Paphos Street in Limassol, while the 27-year-old was heading on his motorcycle to pick up an order.
According to the complainant, two black motorcycles, on which a total of four people were riding, approached him and forced him to stop.
Subsequently, two of the persons demanded that he hand over money to them, with one hitting him in the stomach with a bat and the second punching him in the back.
The 27-year-old started shouting, as a result of which the perpetrators fled, without managing to extract anything.
The TAE Limassol continues the examinations to investigate the case.
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An important piece of evidence for the investigation of the murder of 61-year-old Olga Vasilieva was found by the investigators of the Limassol Police Department, as the mobile phone of the unfortunate woman was found at the bottom of the sea, in the sea area of Moni.
According to information from filenews, the device was located yesterday, after searches carried out by divers, following a hint of a spot in the afternoon to the 43-year-old confessed perpetrator. The mobile phone was recovered from the sea and received by the authorities as evidence.
It is noted that the sea area of Moni is also the point from which the mobile phone of his 61-year-old had emitted the last signal on the afternoon of October 21, through a mobile phone antenna in the area.
This location is an important development in the investigative work, as it is one of the main pieces of evidence that investigators were looking for, as part of the effort to secure additional evidence about the movements of the 61-year-old and the 43-year-old, but also about what followed the murder.
The device is expected to undergo scientific examinations to determine whether data can be extracted that will contribute to the further investigation of the case.
At the same time, investigations continue to locate the rest of Olga's personal belongings, as well as other evidence.
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The Police have alerted a new criminal action related to the environment of the 48-year-old lifer for the quadruple murder in Ayia Napa. After the attempted murder of his 33-year-old brother last August in Ayia Napa, his father's house in Ormidia was targeted.
Specifically, the Police were informed on Wednesday morning about a shot being fired at the house of a 76-year-old man in Ormidia. The time when the shots were fired has not yet been ascertained, according to the Police information, which states that examinations continue to ascertain the circumstances of the criminal act.
According to information from philenews, the shots hit the façade of the 76-year-old's house. Members of the Famagusta Police Department are on the spot, while examinations will also be carried out by the Criminal Investigation Service.
It is recalled that in the early hours of August 21, 2026, unknown persons gassed the vehicle of the 33-year-old brother of the lifer, who was not injured. The attempted murder was committed at 05:40 at the time when the 33-year-old was driving his car in the Kokkines area in Ayia Napa. The perpetrators ambushed the 33-year-old a few meters away from his house and as soon as he tried to turn right, they opened fire, hitting his car several times. Shortly after the attempted murder, a car was found burning in an open area in the Avgorou area.
At the time, it was estimated that the perpetrators may have wanted to send a message to the lifer.
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The British Bases of Dhekelia have been mobilized, after the sea of the area washed up part of a human skull.
The British Bases were notified by a citizen at noon on Wednesday.
Police forces rushed to the area and found a find that refers to a part of a human skull.
According to information from the British Bases, a citizen spotted an object that looked like a bone and informed the Police today. Members of the Police went to the scene and confirmed that it was part of a human skull.
As the update states, so far there is no more information about its origin, the time or circumstances under which it was found, as well as its dating.
The scene has been cordoned off and examinations have begun.
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Solely responsible for the death of an employee, who lost his life from inhalation of carbon monoxide in the bathroom of the house where he lived, was found to be an employer by the Court of Appeal, which rejected his appeal and upheld the first instance decision that attributed to him full responsibility for the fatal incident.
The case concerns the death of a man from Romania, who was employed in roof insulation work. The deceased lived with a compatriot in a rented house, the rent of which was paid by their employer, as part of their payroll.
According to the facts of the case, four days before the accident, the employer had installed a thermal bath that ran on LPG in the room used as a bathroom. The gas cylinder was located outside the room, however inside the bathroom there was no chimney connected to the device, so that the gases emitted during its operation could be channeled out of the room.
The worker died of suffocation, as a result of inhaling carbon monoxide, while he was in this room.
The lawsuit was registered by the administrators of the deceased's estate, who claimed compensation for the benefit of his legal heirs and dependents.
The District Court of Nicosia, in its decision on March 11, 2020, had found the employer solely responsible for the death of the employee. In particular, he found that the installation of the thermal bath was dangerous, as the gases it emitted remained inside the bathroom, without being channeled to the outside.
The Court of First Instance also held that, although the employer was not professionally involved in the installation of thermal baths, he was aware of how they operate and that the emission of gases could, under certain conditions, become poisonous. He knew, in fact, that the correct installation required either the installation of a chimney or the placement of the device in an area outside the bathroom.
In his appeal, the employer argued, inter alia, that the Court of First Instance did not correctly examine the possibility of contributory negligence on the part of the deceased, while also questioning the causal link between the incomplete installation of the thermal bath and death.
The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision dated October 29, 2026, rejected the employer's claims, initially pointing out that the Court of First Instance had clearly ruled that the failure to install the device correctly was causally linked to the death of the employee.
In fact, the Court of Appeal indicated that the relevant ground of appeal was worded in a way that did not correspond to the appellant's actual disagreement, as he complained that the Court of First Instance did not examine the causal link, when in fact it had been examined and had been a key element of the decision. He added that the employer had not challenged the specific findings on which the judgment on causation was based with the grounds of appeal.
Particular emphasis was placed on the issue of the possible concurrent negligence of the deceased. The employer claimed that the employee was aware that the installation of the thermal bath was incomplete, had been staying in the residence for several days before the accident and had therefore exposed himself to foreseeable risk.
The Court of Appeal rejected the argument, underlining that concurrent negligence is based on the obligation of self-protection and the foreseeability of causing damage to the victim himself. In order to be able to apportion responsibility to the deceased, it would have to be shown that he was aware of the risk involved in the use of the thermal bath and, despite that knowledge, chose to expose himself to it.
However, the Court of First Instance had rejected the employer's claim that he warned the employee of the dangers of the device and advised him not to use it. On the contrary, he had found that the employer knew that the deceased was going to operate the thermal bath, without having taken the necessary safety measures or prevented its use.
The Court of Appeal noted that the specific findings had not been challenged by the grounds of appeal and, therefore, remained indisputable. In those circumstances, it held that there was no basis for attributing contributory negligence to the deceased.
In conclusion, the Court of Appeal rejected the employer's appeal and upheld the first instance decision, awarding legal costs of €3,000, plus VAT, if any, in favour of the administrators of the deceased's estate and against the employer.
