Suspect in Oroklini attempted murder has remand extended

A 31-year-old who turned himself in to police following after a car was shot at in Oroklini on December 4 resulting in a 42-year-old man and a six-year-old boy getting severely injured was remanded for a further seven days by Larnaca district court on Friday.

On the day of the incident gunshots were fired at a moving car driven by the 42-year-old man with the six-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man as passengers. The incident occurred at around 5.30am as they were going hunting.

The 42-year-old suffered an abdominal wound and leg injuries while the child suffered a fracture to his right leg. Both underwent surgery.

The third person was not injured because he reportedly managed to get out of the car once the shooting began.

The 31-year-old was arrested for being involved in the shooting and was initially remanded for eight days.

Police have also arrested a 34-year-old man suspected of being involved.

Meanwhile, 35-year-old Andreas Christou is still being sought in connection with what police are treating as an attempted murder.

The 31-year-old suspect said he did not know if there were other people other than Christou involved.

He told police that the 35-year-old was the person who approached him to plan the shooting in Oroklini, for which he was paid €20,000.

The court also heard that Christou was reported to police as a missing person on December 7 by his sister. His vehicle was found abandoned in the area of Ayios Nikolaos on the British bases.

The sister reportedly said her brother had revealed to her he had conspired with the 34-year-old to commit the murder and that he would receive the sum of €40,000 from the 34-year-old, however in the end received only €20,000.

The woman also told police that Christou handed her a mobile phone, which she turned over to authorities as evidence.

According to the investigator, the 34-year-old suspect was not tied through DNA to the weapon or the balaclava found at the scene, and that nothing suspicious was found at his home.

Meanwhile, police urged anyone who might have information leading to Christou’s arrest to contact CID Larnaca on 24-804060, their nearest police station, or the citizen’s line 1460.