A 22-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the alleged beating of a National Guard soldier in Chloraka has been released after police were unable to compile evidence against him.
The man was arrested on August 27, after a social media post claiming that a Greek Cypriot 19-year-old soldier was abducted and beaten by Syrians in Chloraka, went viral.
In statements to Alpha TV, Paphos Police head, Michalis Nicolaou, said that authorities had started an ex-officio investigation based on the social media posts. However, the soldier has neither confirmed nor officially reported the alleged assault and abduction.
Nicolaou also made it clear that the claims surrounding this case have never been substantiated in any way, stressing that the 19-year-old does not exhibit any visible injuries.
When asked about why police arrested the 22-year-old in the absence of a formal complaint, Nicolaou stated that testimony was obtained that justified the issuance of an arrest warrant for alleged offences of abduction, assault, causing actual bodily harm, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Nevertheless, he clarified that a case cannot be substantiated in court.
