Larnaca, Cyprus. Two men accused of attempted armed robberies at a bank in Kiti and a jewellery shop in Larnaca have been committed to stand trial before the Larnaca criminal court.
The defendants, aged 41 and 33, are due to appear before the criminal court on October 7 at 8.30am.
Charges and custody
The Larnaca district court referred the case for trial on Thursday. It is expected to decide on Friday whether the two men will remain in custody until proceedings begin.
The 41-year-old is a European citizen and the 33-year-old is a third-country national.
They face charges including attempted armed robbery of a bank, attempted armed robbery of a jewellery shop, possession of explosives, carrying firearms, causing grievous bodily harm, theft of vehicle registration plates and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Defence objections
Both defence lawyers objected to their clients remaining in custody pending trial.
Lawyer Adriana Klaedes, representing one of the defendants, told the court that the prosecution evidence was insufficient and that the likelihood of a conviction was “remote”.
She said that, despite the volume of evidence collected during the investigation, none linked her client to the offences through DNA or fingerprint evidence.
Klaedes also said eyewitness descriptions did not match her client. She told the court that witnesses described those involved in the attempted bank robbery as young men, with some estimating their age at about 20 and others between 20 and 35, of average build and speaking Greek.