The police appear to have a clear perspective regarding the attempted murder of 34-year-old Dimitris Andronikou (“Dimitroui”) that took place on April 23 in Anthoupoli.
As revealed by yesterday’s request from the Nicosia District Court for the detention of nine individuals who were arrested in the early hours of Saturday in connection with the case (six were approved, while rejected for the remaining three), it embeds this criminal action in the broader criminal activity emerging since last autumn regarding nightlife interests.
More specifically, it correlates it with the murder of at least one person by late 2023 and the subsequent actions aimed at leadership in criminal gangs.
The detention request made on Saturday before the Nicosia District Court is based on information from a police informant, who alleges that one of the detainees, 45-year-old I.I., who is the primary suspect, assumed leadership of a faction in Nicosia following the murder of another individual.
The 34-year-old, who is currently hospitalized in critical condition, according to the informant of the Nicosia District Court, was attempting to establish himself in controlling assets and primarily betting agencies.
This fact, according to the informant, led to a rift between the two individuals, namely the 45-year-old I.I. (the primary suspect) and 34-year-old Dimitris Andronikou.
The same informant allegedly claimed that on at least two occasions, the 45-year-old told two individuals who were arrested on Saturday and released yesterday (second and third suspects) that Andronikou “must be removed from the scene.”
Moreover, the same information states that the primary suspect, I.I., collaborates with two other suspects, the fourth and fifth.
According to the case being built by the Nicosia District Court, the two associates of the 45-year-old, the second and third suspects, urged the fourth suspect to find a gun and the fifth suspect to assign others to carry out the murder plan.
As clearly stated in the detention request of the Nicosia District Court, the seventh suspect, of Arab descent, according to the informant, is the person who drove the scooter that approached Andronikou early last Tuesday noon, while the person who was arrested yesterday afternoon in Larnaca was riding the motorcycle.
Authorities believe the latter was the person who fired three shots at Andronikou as he was riding his high-displacement motorcycle on the Anthoupoli-Palechori road.
The seventh suspect, whom the Police brought to Court yesterday along with eight other individuals seeking an 8-day detention order, together with the tenth detainee, allegedly agreed to execute the plan for €20,000, receiving €10,000 as an advance payment.
“He’ll kill him first”
According to the Police’s request presented by Yiannos Yiannakou, on behalf of the investigative team of the Nicosia District Court for the case, written testimony has Andronikou communicating with an individual with whom he has close ties, mentioning that 45-year-old I.I. told him he “will kill him first.”
The request presented by Yiannakou presents the findings of the Nicosia District Court following the execution of arrest and search warrants at the homes of the nine suspects, which, according to the Police, interconnect all the aforementioned individuals.
Among the findings are objects that the Police believe link some of the nine arrested individuals, as well as evidence believed to connect them to the attempted murder. Among them is a sum of €7,000 and clothing believed to have been brought by the perpetrators.
Six people detained
During Saturday’s long court proceedings, defence lawyers strongly contested the issue of the informant, with Yiannos Yiannakou carrying out a cross-examination from early afternoon until shortly before 9:00 in the evening (the suspects were brought to court at 14:30).
Judge Maria-Anna Stylianou decided yesterday, around 15:0, to approve the requests for the six who were arrested in the early hours of Saturday (1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th), while rejecting them for the other three.
These are suspects 2, 3, and 8, represented by Stelios Christodoulou, Savvas Matsas, and Alexandros Sauiri, respectively.
According to the Judge’s decision, which was read yesterday, the main criterion was whether the information provided by the police informant corresponds to the findings that emerged after the execution of the arrest and investigation warrants against the suspects, and by extension, whether “reasonable suspicion” is established.
Saturday’s process for the nine arrested earlier that day was long.
It was accompanied by a request from two defense attorneys (Agathocles Korellis and Victor Akamas) to exempt the Judge, who raised the issue of “objective impartiality” because she had previously been called upon to decide on the arrest warrants against the suspects.
After an interruption and the Judge’s decision to reject the above request, the process continued with the examination of the head of the investigative team, Yiannos Yiannakou (the request was not read in court).
This was followed by examination by defense lawyers and their speeches. The Judge, after completing the above procedures, reserved her decision shortly after 21:00 yesterday.
The nine individuals were arrested in the early hours of Saturday as suspects, among other charges, for conspiracy to commit a crime, conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, as well as illegal possession and transportation of a firearm.
It should be clarified that the 9th suspect is accused of complicity after the commission of a crime.
The accused were represented by lawyers Agathocles Korellis (1st and 4th suspect), Victor Akamas (1st), Stelios Christodoulou (2nd), Savvas Matsas (3rd), George Loizou (6th suspect), Nikos Koromias (7th), and Alexandros Sauiri (8th suspect).
The Prosecution was represented by Soteroulla Michael.
Yesterday afternoon, the 10th suspect for the case was placed under an 8-day detention order.
He is a 25-year-old who was arrested the day before after a police operation in Larnaca.
Police officers participating in the execution of the arrest and search warrants are alleged to have found a sum of €8,300 in the apartment where the 25-year-old resides.
It is recalled that, according to police informants, the 25-year-old is alleged to have been the passenger on the scooter that approached Andronikou on the Anthoupoli-Palechori road and the one who shot three times at the 34-year-old.
Judge Maria-Anna Stylianou of the Nicosia District Court approved the request of the Nicosia CID for the suspect’s detention yesterday afternoon.
The 25-year-old appeared before the court without a defense attorney. Through an interpreter, he stated in his defense that he resides far from the crime scene.
As mentioned earlier within yesterday’s day, the Judge had issued detention orders for six of the nine suspects arrested on Saturday. Thus, a total of seven individuals are currently detained for the case.
According to police informants, the 7th suspect, along with the 25-year-old, are alleged to have received €20,000 to carry out a murder plan against Andronikou.
After the crime was committed, both – according to oral testimony – are alleged to have headed towards the village of Meniko via the Nicosia-Kokkinotrimithia highway, with the 9th suspect providing them assistance.
