The Nicosia CID seems to attribute the attempted murder of 34-year-old Dimitris Andronikou (“Dimitroui”) on 4/23 on the road from Palaichori to Anthoupolis to a 9-member criminal group operating hierarchically throughout Cyprus, with organization, coordination, and distinct roles.
This emerges from what the Police presented in a marathon judicial process, which began yesterday morning and concluded the next day, in an attempt to convince that there is reasonable suspicion of the involvement of nine individuals in this criminal act.
We present in detail what the Nicosia CID argued for each of the individuals detained for the case:
1st suspect (45 years old): The Police presented him as the moral instigator. According to the testimony of the CID, he assumed the leadership of the Lefkosia faction. He came into conflict with 34-year-old Dimitris Andronikou, who, according to what was said by the Police, attempted to take control of assets, mainly betting agencies.
The 45-year-old and the 34-year-old are alleged to have exchanged death threats, while written testimony has the former sending a message to Andronikou that he would take him out first. Immediately after the murder attempt (4/23), the 1st suspect died with the 2nd suspect and his close associate. The latter is alleged to have given orders for the commission of the crime. Furthermore, investigators reported that they secured written testimony that the 1st suspect communicated with the executor of the plan, the 6th suspect, through the mobile phone of the 3rd suspect.
The 45-year-old is alleged to have congratulated the alleged executor, sent him €10,000, and told him that he would send him €1,500 monthly for life. The vehicle of the 45-year-old was found in the possession of the 3rd suspect. There were €7,000 in the car.
The CID invokes visual material from a gas station showing that the 3rd suspect went to the scene with the same car registered to the 45-year-old and gave €10,000 to the 6th suspect, who is alleged to have shot Andronikou at least three times .
2nd suspect (38 years old): According to the remand request presented by the Nicosia CID to the Nicosia District Court, the 2nd suspect is a close associate of the 1st and ordered the 4th suspect to procure the weapon for the murder of the 34-year-old.
3rd suspect (30 years old): He had in his possession the vehicle of the 1st suspect, in which €7,000 was found, and according to the initial testimony, he undertook to find the individuals who would execute the plan on behalf of the 45-year-old. He appears to have delivered €10,000 to the alleged executor. As stated by the CID, the €8,300 found in the possession of the 6th suspect came from this payment.
Through the mobile phone of the 30-year-old, the 1st and 6th suspects are alleged to have communicated after the commission of the crime. Testimony has the 3rd suspect regularly communicating with the latter two.
4th suspect (22 years old): He received orders from the 2nd suspect to procure the weapon for the planned murder. In his possession was found an empty box believed to have contained 9mm bullets, similar to those used in the attempted murder.
5th Suspect (27-year-old): It is believed that initially, the 27-year-old was assigned the murder of the 34-year-old, whom he was observing. “He feared to carry out the murder” in two instances, as reported by the CID to the Court, so the 3rd suspect instructed the 6th to undertake the execution.
As stated on Sunday by the CID investigator in Court, initial information identified him as the scooter-type motorcycle driver used in the attempt. However, during the commission of the crime, he is alleged to have acted as a lookout. He resided at the same address as the alleged executor (6th suspect). Closed-circuit cameras show him on the day of the attempt together with the 6th and 8th suspects from the morning.
Testimony also places all three doing other work 2-3 days before the attempt, wearing dark clothes and covering their faces. Washed clothes smelling of gasoline were found in his house. Documents belonging to the 6th suspect were found in his room. Additionally, a black helmet, a tracker power supply (note: used for tracking another vehicle), and a quantity of prohibited class B drugs were found.
6th Suspect (26-year-old): As stated in Court, according to “testimony obtained, he is the executor of the murder attempt, meaning the person who, as a passenger on the motorcycle, shot the victim three times.” References in Court regarding previous suspects also reveal their alleged connection with the 6th suspect.
Investigators cite closed-circuit TV footage showing him leaving Kaïmakli, wandering around Lakatamia police station, being at the scene of the attempt (Paleochori-Anthoupolis road), and finally being directed as a passenger on a motorcycle driven by the 8th suspect to the village of Meniko, where the latter resides.
After the murder, he went to Pyla twice, and shopping bags were found in his possessions. Furthermore, the Police present him as residing at the same address as the 5th suspect and speaking with the 7th suspect (serving a prison sentence for another attempt). Testimony portrays him cutting the gun used in the attempt into small pieces with a grinder. The magazine found in Pervolia is believed to come from the said weapon.
7th Suspect (43-year-old AA): He was convicted (9/2021) to 17 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Nikos Rodotheou (11/26/2018). The 5th and 6th suspects are alleged to have kept a gun belonging to the 43-year-old in the house they resided in. Testimony presents the 6th suspect mentioning in relation to the attempt that the 43-year-old initially told the 5th suspect to shoot the victim.
Additionally, the 43-year-old is alleged to have had a video call from prison with the alleged executor of the murder attempt (6th suspect) and told him that he was looking for the 5th suspect and believed he was arrested. The 5th suspect is alleged to manage three vehicles and three motorcycles on behalf of the 43-year-old.
8th Suspect (40-year-old): Police believe the 40-year-old is the driver of the scooter-type motorcycle used by the perpetrators in the attempt to approach the 34-year-old Andronikou. Shoes identical to those worn by the motorcycle driver were found in his house in Meniko. The CID also cited a written testimony.
9th Suspect (28-year-old): The 28-year-old is of Romanian decent and was arrested last Saturday but was released. He was re-arrested on Easter Sunday. While he had told CID investigators that he did not know the 6th suspect, it appears he had the latter’s phone number saved on his mobile. The same applies to the contact list on the 6th suspect’s phone. Additionally, data extracted from the 28-year-old’s phone shows a photo with motorcycles to the present case.
Record Duration of the Proceedings
The Judge of the District Court of Nicosia, Niobe Petrídu, approved the requests for the personal restraint of the nine suspects in two separate procedures, early Tuesday morning and later the same day, respectively. The examination of the request for the personal restraint of the first six suspects was scheduled for 10:00 am on Monday, began with a delay, and the Judge issued a decision around 01:45 am on Tuesday.
For the other three suspects, it started late Monday night, and the judicial decision was issued yesterday at 12:00 pm Particularly, the procedure for the first six suspects was marked by the prolonged cross-examination by Yannis Giannakou, who presented the request on on behalf of the investigative team of CID Nicosia.
