Four suspects accused of involvement in the murder of Limassol businessman Stavros Demosthenous are set to face direct trial before the Limassol district court on January 29, it was announced on Thursday.

The suspects include two 30-year-olds – one alleged to have purchased and sold the motorcycle used in the perpetrators’ escape, and another, a convicted prisoner, accused of having ordered the murder from within the central prison.

The remaining defendants are a 51-year-old whose DNA was found in a stolen vehicle linked to the case, and a 31-year-old Georgian who allegedly acquired fake licence plates for the same vehicle and helped two 28-year-old Georgians flee Cyprus, alleged of being involved in the case.

The two 28-year-olds were arrested in Thessaloniki in late October under a European arrest warrant and are currently awaiting extradition. They are expected to be added to the trial at a later stage.

Related Articles

Shortly after their arrest, police located a car with Cypriot plates at one of their residences. The vehicle, registered under the name of the 31-year-old suspect, contained documents indicating their intended departure from Cyprus by ferry to Turkey.

In total, the indictment contains 17 charges, 16 of which are common to all four defendants.

These include premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, arson, conspiracy to commit a felony, vehicle theft, participation in a criminal organisation, and the illegal possession, use and transport of firearms and explosives.

The 51-year-old suspect additionally faces a charge of receiving stolen property. He remains free after the court rejected a police request to extend his detention on November 5, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to justify continued custody.

Media reported that defence lawyers have requested additional time to review the extensive witness material, with the case currently comprising 104 prosecution witnesses.

The lawyer representing the 51-year-old argued that his client had only been informed on Wednesday that a case would be filed against him and that he appeared in court voluntarily on Thursday.

The court is expected to rule on the potential further detention of the suspects on Friday at 10.30am.

Stavros Demosthenous was shot dead while sitting in a car next to his 18-year-old son in the Ayios Athanasios area of Limassol on October 17.

Police investigations have so far revealed that the bullets that killed Demosthenous were probably fired from a van that was driving right in front of the car that he and his son were in.

The vehicle was later found to have been set on fire, while a motorcycle, which is believed to have been used in the killing, was found abandoned in the Limassol area.

As of November 7, at least eight suspects were detained in relation to the investigation, although some have since been discharged due to lack of evidence.