Bank robbery suspects released

A COURT yesterday set free three men arrested shortly after Wednesday’s armed robbery of Limassol’s main Popular Bank branch.

The Limassol District court yesterday threw out a police request for remand orders for three unemployed Limassol men arrested in connection with the £60,000 raid.

The court said police had not presented enough evidence to justify extending the three men’s stay in custody.

Two masked raiders got away with £57,750 in cash after bursting into the Popular Bank on Athens Street and threatening bank employees and customers with a sawn-off shot-gun.

The robbers made their get-away on an off-road motorbike. The bike was found abandoned down a cul-de-sac in central Limassol about two hours after the 10.30am raid.

Renos Kyriacou, 37, Yiannakis Athanasiou, 35, and Michalis Louka, alias Sclutch, 38, were arrested shortly after.

The court heard yesterday that the three were denying any involvement in the heist, but that no-one had corroborated Kyriacou’s alibi for the time of the raid.

Police also told the court that two people had, in written statements to police, testified that Kyriacou had been planning a bank raid with the other two suspects.

But the court said this was not enough evidence on which to remand the three.

After their release, the three suspects stormed out of the court shouting insults at police.

Police said investigations into the bank raid were continuing.

The court also heard that police had not located the £57, 750 taken by the robbers or the weapon used.

Wednesday morning’s raid was witnessed by many people on a crowded Athens street. Unconfirmed reports suggest the raiders dropped their loot as they ran from the bank, but came back for it, threatening to shoot a by-stander who tried to stop them.

The bank had had security cameras fitted two days before the robbery.

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