Another legal hurdle for murder trial

THE Aeroporos murder hearing in Nicosia is embroiled in more technical legal procedures as a third ‘side trial’ gets under way today.After the criminal court yesterday ruled that a police statement given by suspect Zoe Alexandrou, 53, was admissible, another ‘trial within a trial’ will take place over the validity of her second police statement.Although the defence wanted Alexandrou’s first police statement struck off, the court ruled that no judges’ rules were violated and the statement was given voluntarily.A second statement she made after her arrest, following Hambis’ murder on December 16, is now being examined.Since the prosecution has only called 20 of its 120 witnesses and given the slow pace of procedings the hearing could continue for several more months to come.Hospital cleaner Alexandrou and her cabaret owner brother Sotiris Athinis, 43, have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.Of the three accused of murdering Hambis, 35-year-old waiter Prokopis Prokopiou has already confessed to the killing and will be sentenced at a later date.Policeman Christos Symianos, 35, and special constable Savvas Ioannou, alias Kinezos, 33, have pleaded not guilty to the murder.The trial continues today.

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