Limassol- The trial into the murder of Limassol businessman Stavros Demosthenous has been adjourned and will continue before the Limassol criminal court on 24 March, the district court ruled on Thursday. Six defendants appeared before the court on Thursday morning. They include two aged 28, two aged 30, one aged 31, and one aged 51. The court decided that five of the six will remain in custody until the next hearing.
The 51-year-old defendant will be released under strict conditions. He must pay a bail guarantee of €50,000, present himself at a police station twice daily, and surrender his travel documents. The change follows a defence request to revise the original conditions, which required a €10,000 deposit plus a €100,000 guarantee from a reputable guarantor.
The six defendants face a series of serious charges, including premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit murder, vehicle arson, illegal possession, transportation and use of a firearm, use of explosives, and vehicle theft.
Police allege that one of the 30-year-olds was involved in buying and selling the motorcycle used by the perpetrators to flee after Demosthenous was shot. Another 30-year-old, currently serving a separate prison sentence, is accused of giving instructions from prison for the motorcycle purchase.
Investigators found DNA evidence linking the 52-year-old defendant to the stolen vehicle, which they believe was used to track Demosthenous prior to the murder. The 31-year-old defendant is alleged to have driven the van from which the fatal shots were fired. He was initially arrested on suspicion of complicity in the murder after allegedly helping one of the 28-year-olds flee to Greece. He is now also accused of ordering counterfeit registration plates for the stolen van, and his DNA was found on a hat left behind by the perpetrators.
The two 28-year-old suspects, cousins, were arrested in Thessaloniki last November under a European arrest warrant. Authorities allege that one of them fired the fatal shots at Demosthenous, while the other assisted the escape using an SUV after abandoning the motorcycle.
Stavros Demosthenous, who served as chairman of second division football club Karmiotissa FC, was shot while riding in the passenger seat of a car driven by his 18-year-old son last October.
The 51-year-old defendant had previously been held at the Central Prisons but later had his release overturned on appeal. He remained in custody as he was unable to meet the initial bail conditions. Under the new terms, he will be released while the trial continues.