LARNACA court yesterday renewed an eight-day remand for two men being held in relation to a shooting in Ayia Napa in June.
The Greek nationals, 29-year-old Demetris Mamalikopoulos, and Anastasios Tsehilides, 41, have been remanded once in early August, after a hand-over from the Greek authorities.
The shooting took place on June 23 near the Red Square bar in the popular tourist hub of Ayia Napa.
Four of the men were security guards for Famagusta businessman Phanos Kalopsidiotis, who the police think was the target.
Police investigator Giorgos Economou told the court yesterday that DNA samples from cigarette stubs placed Mamalikopoulos across from the Kalopsidiotis’ coffee shop before the murders. Economou told the court last week that Mamalikopoulos had spent two days watching the coffee shop.
DNA samples also placed both men in a car, rented on June 19 when the two men arrived in Cyprus, which was returned on June 23, the day of the murder when they both left for Athens on different flights.
The police believe that Tsehilides allegedly drove the getaway car and Mamalikopoulos allegedly shot the men.
Police say they have CCTV footage placing the two Greeks at their hotel and at the crime scene, and that mobile phone records pointed to two collaborators.
The police believe one of those is the mastermind. Mamalikopoulos denies calling anyone except his girlfriend.
The court previously heard that the two men changed hotels twice in four days, and called someone at Larnaca airport minutes after the murders.
It was their third visit in two months, Economou said.
The victims’ moving car was shot at 3.24am on the day of the murders. The killer shot fourteen times, hitting the victims in the chest and head. The shooter then ran 50 metres towards a car, police said. Police found 14 nine millimetre shells from a Glock pistol at the scene but no murder weapon. Both men deny any involvement in the murders. Tsehilides has been assigned a lawyer as he is unemployed and has no property to his name, or a spouse to support him.
The police have been taking testimonies and are waiting on forensic test results.
Security was strong both inside the court and outside.
