TWO Poles were arrested last night in Limassol in connection with the murder of Sergei Nalivanski, whose battered body was found on a cliff-ledge near Aphrodite’s Rock on Wednesday.
According to initial police reports, the two Poles, aged 30 and 34, were arrested after a tip-off that they were seen arguing with the victim on Wednesday in Yermasogia. The two suspects have been remanded in custody in Paphos pending further police investigation.
Nalivanski was “strangled by hand”, according to official autopsy results announced yesterday by state coroner Nicos Charalambous. Although the initial examination at the scene by Charalambous had established that the man had been beaten severely with a blunt instrument, mainly about the head, yesterday’s autopsy proved that the actual cause of death was strangulation.
Charalambous also confirmed earlier reports that Nalivanski had most likely been killed “by more than one person” somewhere other than the place where the body was found.
According to the latest information given by the police, Nalivanski – described as a Ukrainian holder of a Canadian passport – had arrived in Cyprus on 27 June, travelling from Canada via Germany, and was due to leave for Canada yesterday.
It has now been established that the victim was 39 years old rather than 31 as reported earlier, and had given his occupation as a used-car salesman to the Limassol hotel where he had taken a room alone. Hotel staff described him as fairly uncommunicative and formal.
Nalivanski was last seen alive leaving the hotel at 3pm on Tuesday. The room had remained undisturbed until Wednesday night, when Limassol and Paphos police officers arrived to carry out a search, based on the room key discovered in the victim’s trouser-pocket. The only significant find was the victim’s passport.
The lack of luggage other than a holdall has led crime investigators to conclude that Nalivanski did not come to Cyprus for a holiday. They do not rule out the possibility that the purpose of his trip was to have illegal dealings. They are now investigating their suspicion that the murder was carried out in the course of illegal dealings with third parties, and are convinced that the perpetrators’ motive was not theft, as the victim’s wallet was found untouched.
Paphos police spokesman Nicos Tsappis said yesterday afternoon that they had requested Interpol’s help in discovering the identity of the murderers and investigating the victim’s character. The police believe that with Interpol’s help they will establish whether the murder was motivated by a settling of accounts, which lately is becoming more common in Cyprus.
