Newsroom
A long-running land dispute between neighbors in a quiet Paphos village turned violent Saturday night, leaving one man fighting for his life and another in police custody on suspicion of attempted murder.
The victim, a 41-year-old Limassol resident, was found lying injured on the main road in Amargeti around 9:30 p.m. by a passerby, who immediately called for help. Police officers rushed to the scene and found the man suffering from a serious abdominal wound, reportedly caused by a shotgun.
He was first taken to Paphos General Hospital for emergency surgery and later transferred to the intensive care unit at Nicosia General Hospital. As of Sunday, his condition remains critical.
Police arrested a 55-year-old man from the village just hours later, at around 2:45 a.m., on suspicion of attempted murder. He is believed to have fired the shot following a dispute over property boundaries between the two men, who reportedly own neighboring plots.
Speaking to the press, Paphos Assistant Police Director of Operations Michalis Nikolaou confirmed that the two had previous disagreements over land borders. Investigators are looking into whether a confrontation took place at one of the men’s homes before the shooting.
The suspect appeared before the Paphos District Court on Sunday and was ordered to remain in custody for eight days as police continue their investigation.
He is being investigated not only for attempted murder but also for illegal possession and use of a firearm, specifically a hunting rifle, as well as explosives-related offenses.
Police have sealed off and are guarding the crime scene in Amargeti while forensics experts continue their work.
When asked whether the suspect had health issues that could affect the investigation, Nikolaou said that any such matters would be assessed during the course of the inquiry but were not currently relevant.
The case has shocked the local community, where both men were known to own land for years. Authorities are now calling for calm as they work to determine exactly what happened and why a neighborhood dispute turned nearly deadly.
