Girlfriend arrested in Larnaca murder case

A woman linked to a slain Romanian man in Larnaca has been arrested on suspicion of withholding information in a criminal investigation.

According to police, a 25-year-old female was detained on Wednesday in connection with the ongoing investigation into the possible murder of 33-year-old Romanian national Popa Andrei.

DNA results have yet to reveal the identity of a decomposed corpse found buried in rural Larnaca last week, with police speculating the body may belong to Andrei who went missing on July 22.

A 26-year-old Indian male, who was arrested by Turkish Cypriot police in the north and handed over to Greek Cypriot authorities last week, reportedly admitted to police investigators he was responsible for Andrei’s death, saying the two men had an argument over money.

Police said the female suspect, described in the media as the suspect's lady friend, was detained on suspicion she had withheld information in the ongoing murder investigation.

The Indian man married the victim’s girlfriend back in 2018 in order to get legal documents in exchange for money, according to local media.

The male suspect reportedly said the victim and his girlfriend left Cyprus after the wedding but kept asking for more cash. After paying an additional €2000, the couple flew to Cyprus with the two men driving to an embassy in Nicosia to get some documents. On the way back to Larnaca, the two started arguing after the victim asked for more money.

He told officers that he flew into a rage and drove the car off the motorway, where the victim got off and tried to run away. The Indian man said Andrei then approached him with the suspect pushing his wife’s boyfriend and causing him injuries. He then drove to the female suspect’s apartment, telling her that Andrei would be back later.

Reports said investigators learned that the male suspect’s actual girlfriend, a 25-year-old Indian national, had been propositioned about getting married to the victim in a similar deal between her boyfriend and the victim’s girlfriend: visa documents in exchange for money.

Two other suspects previously arrested in the same case on assault and robbery charges were later released, with police saying they had no involvement in the case.

Reports did not clarify how police located the two former suspects, aged 25 and 26, but local media said investigators had expressed doubts over the Romanian woman’s statements to police after determining the non-involvement of the two other suspects.

But while local media said the Romanian woman had lied to police, sources told Knews the suspect was in fact not being suspected of telling lies to investigators or making any false statements in connection with the murder case.

Police told Knews on Thursday the Romanian woman was suspected of concealing information that could have been relevant in the course of a murder investigation or events surrounding her boyfriend’s initial disappearance. She was also facing possible charges of obstruction of justice as well as accused of being an "accessory after the fact."

The female suspect, described as a Larnaca resident, has also told police she initially came to Cyprus to work while her boyfriend also landed on the island days later to get married to the male suspect’s girlfriend.

The Indian woman, who was previously detained for questioning but not arrested, had reportedly pointed to her boyfriend’s Romanian wife as the one who propositioned her about marrying Andrei.