Police seek Sri Lankan in stabbing incident

A 27-YEAR-OLD Sri Lankan man was yesterday being sought by police in connection with the stabbing of a compatriot during a street fight in Limassol in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The 26-year-old victim is said to be in a serious but not life-threatening condition in Limassol Hospital.

A 32-year-old Sri Lankan has been detained, though he says he cannot remember who was with him during the scuffle.

Reports said the fight started at 1.30am when a group of six Sri Lankans, including one woman, were approached by 10 compatriots who had travelled to Limassol from Nicosia in three cars looking for answers about the alleged harassment of a female friend.

A heated argument quickly turned into a full-blown punch-up, with the two sides also using wooden boards they found in the flowerbeds of the promenade.

At some point someone pulled out a hunting knife and stabbed the 26-year-old — who was there with his wife — in the chest.

The perpetrator was chased and beaten all the way to the parking lot but he nevertheless managed to get in his car and flee the scene after crashing into an adjacent vehicle.

Police were told he was Malmatata Kubus, 27, who worked at a Nicosia petrol station.

A warrant was immediately issued for his arrest but he remains at large.

The victim was rushed to hospital with a three-centimetre deep wound in his chest.

The 32-year-old suspect currently in custody was arrested after seeking treatment for wounds to his head and abdomen at Nicosia Hospital.

He alleged that he had been wounded in an accident but doctors notified the police who arrived soon after.

State pathologist Panikos Stavrianos examined the man and established that his wounds had been inflicted by a sharp object.

The 32-year-old admitted his involvement in the scuffle but claimed that he could not remember who the other participants were.

He was transferred to Limassol Hospital, where a remand hearing was held yesterday.
The court adjourned for today after the suspect asked for a lawyer.

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