POLICE yesterday arrested a 24-year-old Chinese man suspected of stabbing to death a compatriot last Saturday.
On Monday, police released a photo of Chi Dawei, 24, the prime suspect of the stabbing of Hongnin Bian.
Dawei was recognised by police officers as he attempted to cross over into the Turkish occupied north of the island through the Ledra Palace checkpoint.
He is expected in court for a remand hearing today.
Meanwhile, two remand hearings in connection with the same case were yesterday put on hold at the Nicosia Criminal Court.
Police investigators yesterday brought in a 19-year-old female Chinese student and a 34-year-old Chinese asylum seeker but the remand decisions were postponed for today at 9am.
Police first brought the 19-year-old woman to court, where CID Constable Haris Avraamides requested a six-day remand for the suspect for being an accomplice in a crime after it had been committed and attempting to influence a police investigation.
The 19-year-old is the girlfriend of Dawei, also from China, who is believed to have fatally stabbed Bian outside Sfinakia bar in Nicosia on Saturday evening.
According to police, six men, believed to be part of two separate groups involved in finding housing for Chinese students for a fee, had set a date to discuss various differences they had between each other.
On Saturday, the two groups met to discuss how to share some new business, by way of 17 Chinese students who’d arrived in Cyprus that day. An argument erupted between the two groups.
Knives were pulled and Bian was stabbed twice in the head and once in the chest, piercing his heart. He was killed instantly.
Two friends of Bian were also seriously injured in the brawl whilst another 24-year-old man was also taken in for questioning on Monday.
A total of four people have so far been taken into police custody.
“We have a statement from a witness saying that the suspect and the wanted man were in continuous contact with each other by telephone,” said Avraamides.
“On the night of the attack, the suspect [the wanted man’s girlfriend] had contacted the victim’s girlfriend and told her not to say anything to the police. The following day, the suspect had received three text messages from the wanted man in which he was asking her details about the ongoing police investigation.”
The 19-year-old student was arrested on Sunday afternoon and taken to Nicosia CID.
The woman allegedly confirmed the witness’ statement about her involvement, prompting Avraamides to request a six-day remand from Judge Nicos Yiapanas.
But the woman’s defence lawyer Yiannakis Ioannou was unimpressed the police investigation, arguing that his client’s involvement in the murder had not been found by anyone.
“Was my client co-operative with the police during questioning,” asked Ioannou.
“Yes, she answered all 11 questions”, replied Avraamides.
“Then how can you say that she was blocking your investigation?” argued Ioannou. “How can it be reasonable to you that because she called up the victim’s girlfriend, who for your information is also her best friend, and told her not to get involved with the police, that she is trying to influence your investigation? Explain to me how she has blocked your investigation?”
Ioannou accused of Avraamides of not knowing the full details of the case, as he was not investigating the actual murder of Bian.
“You have said yourself that you don’t know the full facts of Bian’s murder because you are not investigating the murder of the victim but you are also implying that my client is involved in that exact case. It stuns me to hear you say that!” said the smiling defence lawyer.
Judge Yiapanas said he would give his answer to the remand request this morning.
Meanwhile, CID officers arrested a 34-year-old man yesterday morning in connection with the fight that ended in Bian’s murder.
The Chinese asylum seeker, who had bruises on his face and scratches over his arms and legs, is believed to have been one of the men involved in the beating of Bian’s friends, but not the one who delivered the fatal blows to Bian.
Judge Stavros Stavrou yesterday postponed the remand hearing until this morning because the State Prosecutor had not showed up.
“Unbelievably, I am forced to postpone this hearing until tomorrow morning because the prosecution has failed to send a lawyer to this proceeding,” said Judge Stavrou.
