A 77-year-old man has withdrawn his complaint against a 44-year-old businessman, one of four people accused of obtaining tens of thousands of euros from him. In an affidavit, he said the businessman was not involved in the case, Phileleftheros understands.
The other accused are the businessman’s 49-year-old brother, who is also on remand, a 42-year-old businessman from Nicosia and a 45-year-old woman. The 42-year-old and the woman are on bail.
Following the withdrawal, the 44-year-old’s lawyer applied again on Thursday for his client’s release on bail. The court reserved its decision until 11am on Friday. Thursday’s hearing had been set for the accused to enter their pleas.
The complaint
The case came to light last June, when the 77-year-old complained that the four had taken large sums of money from him between 2021 and 2024. According to his complaint, it began when he and his son-in-law sold two properties in Pyla worth 3 million euros to a company of which the 42-year-old is a director.
The 44-year-old and the other three were arrested soon after. A few days later, the businessman’s 49-year-old brother and a 51-year-old man were arrested after the 77-year-old filed a new complaint alleging they had tried to influence him to change his statement. In that case, the two were sent for trial before Famagusta District Court and released on bail.
The charges
The four face charges including money laundering, participation in a criminal organisation and conspiracy to commit a felony. The 49-year-old is also charged with torturing people at an illegal casino in Pyla and in connection with a shooting in Larnaca on 17 January 2026.
The 44-year-old is separately accused in an alleged witness interference case linked to the same shooting.
