Two men identified as “prominent businessmen”, aged 47 and 43, were remanded in custody for four days by the Larnaca District Court on Friday, in connection to last weekend’s shooting in Larnaca town centre.

The men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour and interference with judicial proceedings.

The 47-year-old also faces a separate allegation of illegal possession of property.

Armed police were deployed inside the courtroom amid heightened security.

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A police representative told the court that the arrests relate to a meeting held on Wednesday between the two businessmen and a complainant in the shooting case.

That meeting came to the attention of investigators, prompting the complainant to give a statement in which he made a series of allegations.

Defence lawyer Antonis Demetriou did not object to the remand but questioned whether police were aware that the meeting was “friendly in nature” and whether the complainant had previously worked as a security guard for the 43-year-old.

He also said that, following his statement to police, the complainant allegedly sought employment from the 47-year-old.

The 47-year-old was arrested at his company’s offices, where officers seized a large sum of cash and several bank cheques.

Three other men, aged 44, 50 and 38, were also arrested at the location on suspicion of working as unlicenced security guards and possessing wireless communication devices.

A vehicle in their possession was seized for examination.

The 43-year-old businessman was arrested later the same day at his home.

Their arrests are linked to the broader investigation into the violent incident that occurred last Saturday near the Larnaca police station, in which shots were fired.

Six people are already in custody in relation to that case, including five foreign nationals and a 48-year-old Cypriot alleged by police to be the leader of the group involved.

The 48-year-old was injured during the incident and required hospital treatment.

According to evidence presented in earlier court hearings, the confrontation followed alleged demands for protection money made to a businessman who owns property on Larnaca’s Grigoris Afxentiou Avenue.

Police claim that initial demands of €7,000 were followed by shakedowns for €1,000 per month.

On the day of the incident, a group allegedly returned to the area, demanded money again and assaulted the complainant after he refused.

The situation escalated into a violent clash involving axes, crowbars and a handgun outside the police headquarters in Larnaca.

According to newspaper Politis, the two men who appeared in court on Friday and the complainant had a meeting at a hotel in the Larnaca suburb of Oroklini, about which the head of the Larnaca criminal investigation department was informed.

Later, the complainant went to the police to give a supplementary statement.

He also claimed in his statement to the police that behind the threats and the demand for money is a foreign national operating outside of Cyprus.

The newspaper reported that the two businessmen are known to the authorities following previous incidents, with the 47-year-old said to be the victim of an attempted murder which was committed in Larnaca’s Dromolaxia industrial area.

Several shots were fired in the man’s direction while he was cycling, but he was not injured.

Additionally, it was reported that the 43-year-old businessman was the owner of the hire cars which were set on fire in the village of Pyla.  

In the same incident, an attempted murder was committed against the security guard of his property.

Investigators are also examining claims that the same group attempted earlier this month to take over security arrangements at entertainment venues in Larnaca.