Jeweller arrested over Stylianides theft

POLICE yesterday made a third arrest in connection with the theft of jewellery belonging to the former government spokesman and his wife.

According to a police report, jeweller Nicos Ioannou, 65, was arrested yesterday afternoon after Koulla Michael and her husband George Petrou, also known as ‘Koukoumas’, implicated him in the theft and resale of the former spokesman’s property.

Koukoumas, 39, and Michael, 31, were arrested on Thursday. Both have been remanded for eight days.

Ioannou is expected to be remanded today.

The robbery at the house of former spokesman Christos Stylianides was carried out on January 6 this year.

Stylianides’ wife, Thoulla, recognised one of her stolen broaches while attending a jewellery exhibition by Ioannou’s company. When she asked the price of the broach, she was told it cost £18,950.

The incident was reported to police, who searched Ioannou’s jewellery shop on Onasagorou Street in Nicosia and uncovered £40,000 worth of jewels that Stylianides identified as her own.

Ioannou told police he had purchased the jewellery from Michael for £15, 800.

Further investigations at Michael’s home uncovered more jewellery, which was confiscated by police for further investigation.

Michael confessed that had she sold the jewellery to Ioannou, saying her husband had given it to her. Appearing in court on Thursday, she added that her husband had received the jewellery from another person.

Koukoumas yesterday named the person as someone who is currently serving a sentence in Nicosia prison.

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