Bombers strike Suphire offices

THE NICOSIA offices of high-profile stockbrokers Suphire were bombed in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Nicosia CID suspects the motive behind the attack of the office belonging to Suphire Securities & Financial Services owner Yiannos Andronikou “may be connected to the financial activities of the company”, adding that the explosion was some kind of a “warning” to the millionaire businessman.

The self-made explosive device went off at around 2.30am yesterday morning in the fourth floor lobby of Suphire’s offices on Makarios Avenue in central Nicosia.

The explosion blew out several windows, brought down the false ceilings and caused severe damage to the door and walls of the office entrance. There were no security cameras outside the office.

Responding to a call by police, Andronikou arrived at the office about an hour after the blast. He later went to the Nicosia CID Headquarters where he gave investigators a statement.

According to police sources, Andronikou said that “he does not suspect anyone or any group that may want to do him harm”.

He added that he had also not received any threats.
Both Andronikou and his wife Rea are currently in court facing charges of theft, falsifying accounts and concealment.
According to the indictment, the multimillionaire businessman is suspected of embezzling around £8 million from the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) pension fund back in 2005.

The EAC had discovered a discrepancy in the fund on the last day of 2004 during an internal audit that found that official stock market figures on the fund’s portfolio for the year did not correspond to those provided by Suphire.

Deputy Nicosia Police Chief Demetris Demetriou yesterday told reporters that “investigations were under way to locate the culprit or culprits behind the attack.”