Police will search seven locations and knock on doors in Larnaca as they pursue their investigations into the murder of a 38 year old woman whose body was found in an abandoned mine shaft in Mitsero and step up their search for her missing six year old daughter.
Police investigator Ioannis Yiorkatzis told Nicosia district court on Friday that police have already taken 72 statements and intend to take another 70 or more from the family, friends and co-workers of two suspects.
The two men, aged 30 and 35, were remanded in custody for eight days by the court on Friday.
Yiorkatzis told the custody hearing that police will also try to establish where the rope used to tie the feet and hands of the victim and similar-looking rope found in the home of the second suspect had come from.
The body of the victim was found in an abandoned mine shaft on Sunday. Earlier on Friday, her Romanian former boyfriend and father of the child, was released without charge.
The two suspects are Greek Cypriot, and both are understood to work for the National Guard.
Yiorkatzis said that police was also examining three vehicles and was looking for two more.
It would be searching seven indoor and outdoor areas in search for evidence or clues with the aim of finding the child, as well as the clothes and shoes of the victim.
It will also be canvassing the Larnaca neighbourhood where the victim, a Filpiina, lived.
Police are also waiting for the results of tests from the scene where the body was found. Information has also been requested from Interpol in the Philippines.
The victims’ house mate had told police that the victim had been picked up by a friend who she had met online on the Badoo website and had the profile name of Orestis 35, late on May 4, 2018.
Her daughter was with her at the time because Orestis had insisted the child come along to play with his two children. According to the friend, the victim and Orestis were in a relationship. She never saw her friend again.
The room mate also gave police a photograph of ‘orestis35’ from the Badoo website which turned out to belong to the first suspect who lives in Peristerona and grew up in Mitsero.
The first suspect, aged 30, denies any involvement and said the photograph was part of a photo he has with his wife on his Facebook page. He also handed over his computer to police. The first suspect said he knew the other suspect from work but that they were not close close friends.
The police investigator told the court that police investigations through Google, Facebook and Cablenet had turned up a Facebook profile Orestis Apoel, with the IP address of the second suspect. The account was deleted on April 14 — the day the body was discovered.
The IP address belongs to the second witness, aged 35. He is separated from his wife and has two children.
On his Facebook page police found photographs of the abandoned mine as well as of the specific mine shaft where the victim was found as well as a photograph of the suspect at the site.
Police who searched his house found blue rope similar to that used to tie up the victim, a number of SIM cards, mobile phones, cameras, a laptop and hard disks.
The police investigator added that as he was trying to be arrested, the second suspect tried to swallow a SIM card. He has refused to answer any of police’s questions during questioning saying this was the advice of his lawyer, the court heard.
https://in-cyprus.com/two-men-remanded-for-mitsero-murder-victims-former-boyfriend-released/
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