Charges against two suspects in the murder of gang member Demetris Andronikou were dropped on Friday after it was found that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

Antonis Demetriou, the lawyer of one of the two suspects, said that the testimonies given by 14 prosecution witnesses “did not prove” the veracity of any of the charges.

In particular, he said the claim that his client had “aided or incited” those who committed the murder were not evidenced and added that there was “no evidence of any contact” between the two suspects and those who have already been sentenced in connection with the murder.

The other suspect’s lawyers said that most of the evidence gathered against their client was “hearsay”.

The court largely concurred, finding that “no evidence was presented” to determine that the two suspects had organised the murder.

The ruling stated that there is “no testimony before us that there is such a thing”, or any “direct or indirect” incitement to murder on the suspects’ part.

Andronikou, also known as Demetroui, was shot three times in broad daylight while riding a motorcycle in the Nicosia suburb of Lakatamia in April last year. One bullet hit him in the neck. He then died of sepsis arising from his gunshot wounds the following month.

An eyewitness told news website the Cyprus Times at the time that he was driving behind Andronikou and saw him drop to the ground in a pool of blood.

“He was wearing a helmet; I was talking to him asking him if he’s okay but he couldn’t respond,” the eyewitness said.

“Initially I didn’t understand what happened. Another driver from across the road shouted it had been a shooting. I then saw three bullet casings.”

Andronikou had been described as “well known to police”, indicating that he may have been linked to organised crime in the past. He had been visiting a detained individual being held at the Lakatamia police station on the day he was shot.

In December, three people were handed life sentences for their parts in his murder.

The trio, 30-year-old Omar Suleyman, 28-year-old Mohammad Al Agka, and 26-year-old Mohammad Kasab, had already admitted their guilt, while Al Agka and Kasab named Suleyman as the “mastermind” behind the murder

They joined 42-year-old Yiasser Arar, who drove the shooter away from the scene, in receiving life sentences. Arar was sentenced in October last year before turning main prosecution witness in the case against the other three.