A court has remanded two suspects for seven days in connection with the murder of Limassol businessman Stavros Demosthenous, as police say they now have a clear picture of everyone involved in the killing.
The court approved the request from Limassol CID investigators in a brief hearing on Thursday, with defence lawyers Alexandros Clerides and Giorgos Loizou raising no objection to the detention order.
According to information obtained by philenews, police believe 28-year-old suspect A.Z. is the hitman who carried out the assassination. His cousin is believed to be the person who helped the killers escape after they abandoned their motorbike in the Agios Tychonas area.
The two suspects were arrested by Greek authorities in Thessaloniki on 30 October following the issue of European arrest warrants.
BMW traced to suspect’s father
New evidence has added another vehicle to the investigation—a BMW that CCTV footage shows waiting in Agios Tychonas for the two perpetrators to arrive on the motorbike. When the killers reached the spot and hid the motorbike, the BMW left about a minute later heading towards the coastal front. The vehicle’s number plates were captured by another security camera.
Investigators established the BMW belongs to the father of one of the two 28-year-old suspects. On 22 October, five days after the murder, police located the vehicle’s owner, who consented to handing over the car for forensic examination.
According to police, the father of 28-year-old I.Z. said the vehicle is driven exclusively by his son, who left Cyprus on 21 October with his minor son for Thessaloniki, where family members live. The father himself drove them to the airport in that car.
Phone call cut short
Limassol CID investigators say they called the 28-year-old by phone in his father’s presence. The suspect claimed he was in Agios Tychonas to buy drugs but gave no further details about his movements. When asked when he would return to Cyprus, he ended the call.
Alleged hitman’s role
On 24 October, investigators obtained new information about the second 28-year-old suspect, the alleged hitman and cousin of the first suspect, linking him to Demosthenous’s murder.
A police informant reported that the 28-year-old confided in him a few days after the killing that he had taken part in the crime for payment, acting as the motorbike driver who helped the perpetrators escape. According to the same testimony, their getaway from the Agios Tychonas area was aided by his cousin, who transported the alleged hitman and a 31-year-old co-defendant in a BMW.
The suspect also expressed concern about the investigation’s progress after learning from media reports about the discovery of the motorbike and cap.
Second BMW arrives at suspect’s home
Further testimony in the possession of the Limassol CID investigation team indicates a second BMW arrived almost simultaneously with the first suspect’s car at his Limassol home shortly after the murder. Examinations revealed this vehicle belongs to the father of the 28-year-old alleged motorbike driver.
Police also secured testimony that the 28-year-old returned home around midday on 18 October, asked his mother for his passport and left without taking anything with him, saying he was going to Greece.
To date, 204 witness statements have been taken and 22 searches conducted, yielding dozens of pieces of evidence. Another 57 statements are expected to be taken in the case.
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