Larnaca, Cyprus. Five people were referred to a direct trial before Larnaca criminal court on Tuesday, facing robbery charges related to a 2024 burglary. Four of the suspects have been convicted for the murder of Demetris Andronikou, known as Demetroui.
Charges and suspects
The suspects, aged 43, 42, 41, 29 and 27, have been charged with the burglary of the house of a businessman in 2024.
Testimony on the February 2024 incident
According to the testimony of the businessman’s wife, four hooded men entered the couple’s premises in Larnaca’s Faneromeni area in February 2024. She said the men threatened her and two domestic workers with garden shears and locked them in one of the bedrooms before stealing their mobile phones and jewellery.
She said the men then forced her to open the safe, from where they stole further jewellery, as well as watches and money with a total value of over €188,000.
Footage and getaway vehicle
Closed circuit footage later showed that five men were involved in the robbery and had fled in a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was later found abandoned in the Yermasogia river.
Watch sale linked to Lebanon
One of the stolen watches was later put up for sale on social media and sold to a jewellery store in Lebanon. The store owner later informed authorities that the watch had been offered by sellers from Cyprus.
Arrests and links to another case
A few weeks after the alleged robbery, in mid-March 2024, police arrested the 41-year-old suspect, who is accused of making contact with Lebanon.
During the robbery investigation, the 41-year-old was arrested for the murder of Demetris Andronikou, who was shot in 2024. In testimony, the 41-year-old later claimed that three other people had been involved in the robbery.
What impact could the closed circuit footage and witness testimony have on the trial?
