A Limassol District Court has ordered the eight-day detention of a 30-year-old convict identified as N.S., who is suspected of involvement in the murder of Stavros Demosthenous.
The development follows testimony from a second suspect who allegedly purchased the motorcycle used by Demosthenous’ killers to flee the crime scene at the instruction of the detained convict.
Limassol Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers brought the 30-year-old convict before the court Wednesday morning seeking his remand in custody. His lawyer raised no objection to the request.
“Following written testimony from one of the persons involved in the case (30-year-old C.S.), we established that the convict communicated with him from the Central Prisons and, following his instructions, arranged the purchase of the motorcycle,” said Assistant Chief Inspector Elias Kreouzos, the case examiner.
The witness stated he left the motorcycle at a specific location for another person to collect.
Following this testimony, police secured an arrest warrant against the suspect, who was arrested at 2:49 p.m. yesterday at the Central Prisons.
He was subsequently transferred to Limassol CID offices, where he indicated he would provide a written statement today in the presence of his lawyer.
Authorities have so far taken 43 statements and conducted 10 searches in connection with the case.
According to Inspector Kreouzos, investigators plan to take 97 additional statements from people in the victim’s circle, other inmates, prison staff, and individuals who appear to have direct or indirect connections to the crime scene or the routes taken by the perpetrators before, during, and after the murder.
Police continue to examine crime scenes and routes the perpetrators are believed to have taken, while a large number of closed-circuit surveillance recordings from areas in Limassol and Nicosia are pending review.
Two more searches at specific locations are planned as the investigation continues.
Previous arrests and court order
Police had previously arrested four other suspects believed to have a role in the case:
- A 44-year-old former footballer and owner of the motorcycle believed to have been used in the murder.
- A 59-year-old and a 30-year-old from Nicosia.
- A 39-year-old residing in Limassol.
The fatal ambush took place around 9:30 on the morning of October 17, approximately 500 metres from Demosthenous’s home in the Sfalangiotissa area.
The businessman was in the passenger seat of a luxury rental vehicle driven by his 18-year-old son when a white van cut them off, forcing the teenager to slow down.
The van doors opened, and one of the perpetrators began shooting precisely at Demosthenous, fatally wounding him.
After completing the hit, the assassins fled the scene. Minutes later, a vehicle matching the description was found burning in Germasogeia.
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