Gambling theft remand

A MAN who allegedly frittered away tax payer’s money at the bookies was remanded in custody for eight days yesterday.

Pavlos Kouzapas, 32, an employee of the Lymbia Village Authority, was remanded by a Nicosia district court accused of appropriating £19,000 of residents’ money to feed his gambling habit.

Kouzapas was arrested on Monday by police, who questioned him on the disappearance of £19,000 that he was supposed to manage on behalf of the village authority.

The chairman of the Lymbia Village Authority, Michalakis Christodoulou, had reported the theft of a safe box containing the money. He said it went missing from the office some time between April 14 and 19. The safe contained residents’ annual contributions for public health and water charges.

After investigating the reported theft, Nicosia CID said they could find no sign of any break-in.

Police said that Kouzapas had admitted during questioning to taking the cash, which he said he gambled away.

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