Investigators are searching for a rental car believed to be carrying a 24-year-old Pakistani man when he was fatally shot by a police officer during an incident near Potamia village on Epiphany evening.
The victim, who was found dead and partially clothed in the Acropolis area of Nicosia, was identified through his passport.
Records show his asylum application was rejected last September, after which he resided in Cyprus without permits between the occupied and government-controlled areas, police said.
According to police sources, the deceased was allegedly involved in people smuggling operations, particularly through grey areas of the buffer zone after security measures were tightened along the Green Line.
Investigators have obtained CCTV footage showing a rental car matching the description of the vehicle involved in the Potamia incident. The footage was captured in the Aglantzia area, with police working to identify the driver.
Police accounts indicate three vehicles from the occupied areas were involved in the incident: an unregistered Navara pickup truck, a rental car, and a vehicle with Turkish Cypriot plates.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis rejected allegations of a cover-up, calling criticism “premature and unfounded.” He urged anyone with evidence of a cover-up to present it to the police.
The victim was found with approximately €500, a watch, and documents related to migrant trafficking. Forensic evidence suggests he was already deceased when left at the location where his body was discovered.
The Law Office has advised against suspending the officers involved, as all evidence, including bullet casings and vehicles, is in investigators’ possession.
Opposition parties DISY and AKEL maintain their calls for a cover-up investigation and the justice minister’s resignation.
Read more:
