Man to be handed over to CyPol after guilty plea in SBAs

A Greek Cypriot man pleaded guilty to assaulting an SBA Police officer and damaging a police vehicle in court yesterday after he attempted to evade arrest when he was pulled over whilst driving a stolen car in Kolossi on January 7.

The 26-year old from Paphos, whom officers had identified from the Cyprus Police’s ‘wanted list’, attempted to escape but after failing, he was quickly arrested and taken to the SBA Police station in Akrotiri.

The man, who has 14 warrants of arrest against his name in the Republic of Cyprus for car theft and drugs, is now scheduled to appear in an SBA Court on February 2, where he will be sentenced and then subsequently handed over to Cypriot authorities to answer his other pending charges.

A passenger in the vehicle – a 22-year old man from Paphos – also wanted by CyPol on theft charges, he has now handed himself in to Cypriot authorities.

Chief Inspector Panicos Panayi, from the SBA Police Akrotiri Division, called this latest arrest a ‘huge success’ and explained it further highlighted the close working relationship between the two police forces.

He said: “We are proud of the close and professional relationship between ourselves and CyPol and this shows that by having such open communication, we are able to make these arrests and ensure that two men who are wanted for multiple crimes can be brought to justice.”