Newsroom
Significant developments have emerged in the investigation into the murder of 49-year-old Stavros Demosthenous, who was killed on October 17 in Agios Athanasios, Limassol.
During a discussion of the Justice Ministry’s budget before the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Chief of Police Themistos Arnaoutis announced that eight arrests have already been made in connection with the case and that more are expected, noting that “further actions will be taken.”
Later in the day, police sources confirmed that a 31-year-old man, previously detained as an accessory after the fact, was re-arrested on Tuesday night. He now faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and premeditated murder and is expected to appear before court on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, two other suspects, aged 44 and 51, who are already in custody for the murder, were brought again before the Limassol District Court on Tuesday. The 44-year-old allegedly owns the motorcycle used by the perpetrators to escape after burning the van used in the ambush, while the 51-year-old is believed to be linked to a stolen vehicle used to monitor Demosthenous in the days before the crime.
The court reserved its decision on extending their detention for eight days until Wednesday, following lengthy proceedings during which both suspects denied involvement through their lawyers.
At the same time, the detention orders for two additional suspects, aged 58 and 30, also expire on Wednesday. They are believed to have played roles in the purchase and sale of the motorcycle under the direction of another 30-year-old convict, who remains in custody.
Speaking before Parliament, Chief Arnaoutis also addressed two recent internal incidents, a mobile phone found in a suspect’s possession and a visitor mistakenly loaded into a police van at the Central Prisons, stating that administrative investigations have been launched and that findings will be announced once available.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis described both incidents as “extremely serious,” stressing that “such phenomena are unacceptable and will be dealt with with the utmost severity once responsibilities are determined.”
The Minister also presented updated crime statistics, reporting 4,096 serious criminal cases registered by the end of September 2025, with a clearance rate of 77.78%, compared to 3,891 cases and an 81.29% clearance rate during the same period last year. This represents a 5.27% increase in serious crimes, with a slight decline in effectiveness. The lowest clearance rates, he said, involve arson, theft, and property destruction with explosives.
Finally, Chief Arnaoutis highlighted ongoing technological challenges within the Police Force, revealing that he had requested a Technology Advisor from the Minister of Finance, who approved the request and advised proceeding through outsourcing, given the lack of in-house expertise.
