WELL-KNOWN television presenter Elena Skordelli was one of two more people arrested last night in connection to the murder of media mogul Andis Hadjicostis on January 11.
Media crews and the press clamoured outside the Paphos Gate police station for a shot of Skordelli, in handcuffs, as she was brought in for questioning in a CID vehicle.
The other person under arrest is her brother, Tasos Krasopoulis.
Both will be appearing in court today for their remand hearing. Police yesterday insisted on a news moratorium and declined to release any information about the nature of the fresh arrests.
The arrests came after the outcome of the testimony of one of three suspects already in custody, who is said to have ‘broken under police questioning’ and confessed his involvement in the crime. Authorities withheld comment on the nature of the confession.
A police spokesman declined to comment on these reports.
“Acting on new testimony, the police have tonight arrested two persons in connection to the well-known case of the murder of Mr. Hadjicostis,” Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides told newsmen outside the police station last night.
Paschalides was filling in for Justice Minister Loucas Louca, abroad on official business. He declined further comment
The minister was flanked by Kypros Michaelides, police superintendent for the Nicosia district, who also refused to answer any questions by newsmen, such as whether the two new suspects were being considered as the masterminds of the crime, or whether the arrests would take investigations in a new direction.
Skordelli started out as a journalist for the Sigma channel, owned by the Hadjicostis family, later hosting a popular TV chat show. She currently works at another channel, Plus TV.
She also holds a 20 per cent stake in the DIAS media group which owns Sigma and a number of publications.
Skordelli was questioned at least twice before her arrest last night. She has denied any involvement in the case.
Earlier this week Skordelli’s lawyer sent letters to the police chief, Attorney-general and the Justice and Interior Ministers requesting protection after an alleged attempt to cause her injury. In the letter, lawyer Michalakis Kyprianou claimed his client was potentially in danger and asked for police protection. He further claimed that unknown persons removed three nuts from the front tyre of Skordelli’s car last Friday, “evidently, to cause an accident or even her death”.
The letter came just 24 hours after the TV presenter ordered her lawyer to sue everyone “responsible for all the slanderous and malicious publicity, which has been carried out at my expense, as much in the Greek domain as in the Cypriot, via televisual or electronic formats, in printed, televised and electronic forms of media.”
Almost from day one of the murder, Skordelli’s name came up on a number of Greek websites and blogs offering theories about the murder.
Their remand for the other three suspects ends tomorrow, at which time police are expected to request a renewal. The so-called fourth suspect, 29-year-old Gregoris Xenofontos is wanted by police, who have issued European and international warrants for his capture. Xenofontos is believed to have departed for Moldova with his wife a few days after the murder.
