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Escapee from Paphos police cells to be referred for trial

Paphos police HQ

One of the two men who escaped from Paphos police station earlier in February will be referred to a direct trail before the Paphos criminal court by the end of the week, police said on Monday.

Police are expected to complete the file on the case by Friday, which will then be registered at the Paphos district court with the aim to refer the trial to the criminal court of the district, Paphos police chief Michalis Nicolaou told the Cyprus News Agency.

The prosecution will request the escapee, Alexandros Sarkisides, 28, remain in custody at the central prisons in Nicosia until the hearing starts.

Sarkisides claimed he has no knowledge of the other wanted man, aged 34, saying they “went their separate ways” after the escape, the officer added.

The 28-year-old was arrested on Saturday after he broke into an apartment in the Universal area of Paphos and fell asleep.

He was remanded for eight days on Sunday by Paphos district court.

The suspect reportedly broke into the apartment and then lay down on the bed, where he was seen asleep by someone who thought he looked like one of the escapees, Ioannou said.

This person called the police, and also told them the main door of the apartment had been broken in. Police went to the scene where they found Sarkisides asleep.

He was immediately arrested and transferred to Paphos police station under guard where all appropriate measures would be taken for his detention, Ioannou said.

Police said he is being investigated for 31 break-ins and thefts in Paphos. Of those, 23 took place before his escape while eight were carried out between his escape up until his arrest on Saturday. He is believed to have been involved in more thefts.

The second wanted man, Ernai Kozmiov, aged 34, is still at large.

Sarkisides, was also seen on Thursday in the district in a car with a 27-year-old who was later arrested. At that time police had failed to arrest the escapee.

The 27-year-old man was remanded for five days on Friday for alleged complicity in the escape of the two detainees.

After the escape of the two detainees on February 5, a female officer was suspended following a decision of the police chief, PafosNet reported.

It said suspicions against the officer arose when the investigators checked the CCTV cameras of the detention facilities covering the period when the escape took place.

The material, according to the Paphos-based media, allegedly showed the officer had engaged in disciplinary misconduct.

State radio had reported that one of the two had refused to carry out a PCR test for coronavirus, which was required before his transfer to the central prisons, and that is why he was being detained at the central police station of Paphos.

 

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