A MAN and a woman have been remanded in police custody for the murder of a 53-year-old man from the Nicosia village of Meniko.
Constantin Solomon, 45, and his lover Mihaela Foltic, 28, both from Romania, are under investigation for conspiracy to commit murder and the premeditated murder of 53-year-old Giorgos Diomedous.
Diomedous, who had been living with Foltic, was stabbed six times as he was returning back to his home on Grigoris Afxentiou Street in the sleepy village.
Yesterday a CID investigator told the court that the victim had returned back to his home with Foltic when somebody approached him as he went to enter his house and stabbed him. Diomedous sustained two fatal stab wounds to his lungs and was pronounced dead on arrival at Nicosia General Hospital at 7.51pm.
Police also said the victim’s last words before passing out in a bloody pool on his doorstep were, “I’m going to die, Mavros [Blacky] stabbed me”.
Mavros is said to be the nickname of Solomon who bears a dark complexion.
“We have witness accounts in which two people were seen running away from the victim’s home hand-in-hand just after the crime was committed,” the investigator told a Nicosia Court yesterday during the remand hearing of the two suspects.
The officer also said that Diomedous’ neighbour claimed to have seen Solomon waiting outside the victim’s house minutes before he was stabbed.
A taxi driver had also told the police that he had driven a man matching the description of Solomon from Strovolos to the village of Meniko earlier that day.
The investigator have also taken down statements from friends of Solomon who said that he had repeatedly told them in the past that he would kill the victim.
“At midday on May 22, police found the two suspects in an isolated area close to the village. The first suspect [Solomon] tried to run away but he was stopped by arresting officers,” he added.
After being placed under arrest, Solomon told officers, “I had the knife with me, but I didn’t want to hurt him. I had been drinking before and I threw the knife away in the river close to where the police found me.”
The knife has been recovered by the police.
Foltic, who despite being pregnant and in a relationship with Solomon, was living with Diomedous, allegedly told police, “I will tell you everything. I have nothing to hide.”
Police say they have taken down 42 statements so far and that another 60 are set to be taken from friends and family members of the victim and the suspects.
Yesterday, a Nicosia judge remanded Solomon and Foltic in police custody for eight days.
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