Yiasser Arar, 40, told the criminal court on Tuesday that he took part in the murder plot against 34-year-old Demetris Andronikou as he owed a personal debt.

Sentence will be passed on Friday.

Andronikou died on May 28 from sepsis, a month after he was shot three times on the Palechori-Anthoupolis road.

Arar was the main witness, as he had admitted to being the person riding the motorcycle used in the shooting on April 23.

The prosecution said Arar had agreed to take part in a plan to intimidate Andronikou, however he realised his passenger was carrying a gun.

Arar, who is married and has three children, admitted to the crime during his first testimony.

He told the court on Tuesday that he regretted his crime. He was not represented by a lawyer.

The criminal court scheduled proceedings to pass sentence for Friday.

Earlier, the criminal court had dismissed a proposal to pass sentence on three other people charged in the case – Omar Suleyman, 30, Mohammad Al Agka, 28, and Mohammad Kasab, 26.  The two latter had named Suleyman as the mastermind and had said two other suspects, ‘Sifis’ and ‘Spyros’, were not involved in the plot.

However, after a long deliberation, the criminal court dismissed requests for ‘Sifis’ and ‘Spyros’ to be released on condition.