Three men remanded in bizarre murder plot released (Updated)

Three men were released from custody on Monday in the latest twist in a bizarre case in which it was alleged that two brothers plotted to dress up as Father Christmas and kill a man while pretending to be carol singers.

The case emerged last week and centred on the alleged plot to murder president of the Limassol school board Dinos Ellinas, seemingly over financial disputes.

As the police had speculated, the three men remanded in custody as suspects in the case were set free within the day as the source who informed the police of the plot refused to put his claim in writing.

Local media reported last week that the two men, aged 25 and 26, contacted a third man who put them into contact with a weapons dealer from whom they purchased two pistols. A police search at the brothers’ homes only turned up a single replica pistol.

A third man was also arrested last week while the school board announced last Wednesday that they had recently worked with the company linked to the suspects and a sum of €360,000 had been paid.

On Monday, police spokesman Christos Andreou told state broadcaster CyBC that the three men under arrest, one aged 25 and two 26-year-olds, are set to be released as their arrest warrant is due to expire and there was no further evidence against them.

Andreou confirmed that the informer has not put in writing the allegations that he initially made against the suspects.