In a shocking case that came to light on Wednesday, sacrilegious individuals tried to steal the remains of the mother of a prosecution witness from a Maronite cemetery in Nicosia but failed to do so.
However, what they have actually managed to do is strengthen the 36-year-old prosecution witness Ioannis Andreou’s will to testify in the ongoing drug case, Philenews reported on Thursday citing insiders.
Andreou, who is in the protection witness programme, was arrested in 2019 after drug squad members confiscated a large amount of cocaine.
He is to testify against a main suspect and had been warned not to testify in the case.
It seems that those who tried to ‘steal’ the remains reached a digging depth of 2.20 meters and stopped, apparently because the sun was rising and they were afraid of being caught.
Wednesday’s investigations by an anthropologist and forensic experts led to the intact body of the mother at a depth of 2.60 meters.
Experts joined police at the cemetery on Anthoupolis road a day after a gravedigger at the cemetery had noticed that the grave was open and reported the issue.
After initial investigations fears were raised that her remains had been taken but following further checks on Wednesday, the body was found deeper down in the grave.
