‘Alleged shooter was framed’ defence says

FANOS Hadjigeorgiou, the key witness in the trial for the murder of Sigma boss Andis Hadjicostis, tried to convince the defence yesterday that alleged shooter Gregoris Xenofontos committed the murder because he owed money, as his pub had gone down the drain.

Under cross-examination by Xenofontos’ lawyer, Rovertos Vrahimis who accused him of committing the murder, Hadjigeorgiou claimed that Xenofontos was pressurised to repay debts.

“He owed money and he was pressured to pay off his debts, that’s why he agreed to take part in the murder,” said Hadjigeorgiou adding that the defendant, Xenofontos, had opened a pub that closed down as it was not doing well. Hadjigeorgiou then beckoned to Xenofontos to confirm this in the courtroom. Vrahimis retorted that Hadjigeorgiou was talking rubbish.

Hadjigeorgiou, who claims to have been driving the getaway vehicle, has been undergoing cross-examination since last week by the lawyers of all four defendants. Yesterday was the final day.

Vrahimis claimed that both Hadjigeorgiou and Costas Proestos  had framed Xenofontos by sending him abroad after the shooting . “Aren’t you ashamed? You tricked the boy by sending him abroad then you offloaded the murder on him,” said Vrahimis.

Proestos was originally arrested because his prints were found on part of the bike helmet that police found near the scene of the crime. Police found no reason to keep him in custody though as Hadjigeorgiou’s confession did not implicate him in the murder, and it had been determined he had only loaned the helmet to Hadjigeorgiou but was not aware of what the star witness was up to.

However, according to lawyer, Vrahimis, his client, Xenofontos was told to go to a particular field in Peristerona on the night of the murder, on the pretext of selling a motorcycle. Vrahimis claimed that Xenofontos saw Hadjigeorgiou and Proestos changing their clothes into ones that were already in the field, leaving the old ones there, and also dumping the helmet . He also claimed that they had washed the motorcycle to cover their tracks.

Hadjicostis was gunned down outside him home on January 11, 2010.

The trial will resume next Monday with a new witness.

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