Piripitsis arrested on way back from north

IOANNIS Piripitsis, 40 years old, who was wanted by police for a series of crimes relating to the death of a Romanian arsonist, was arrested yesterday afternoon at the Ayios Dhometios crossing as he was coming from the north, according to police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos.

The Romanian’s charred body was found in the Larnaca district earlier this month.

Katsounotos confirmed that Piripitsis was wanted by police in connection with conspiracy to commit a felony, manslaughter, arson and being an accomplice after a crime, committed between October 8 and 12 in Nicosia and Larnaca districts.

Police sources stated that the crimes relate to the arson of a betting on October 8 in Deftera. Only a few days after the arson, police discovered in a field near Alaminos, Larnaca, a body covered in third degree burns, belonging to a 49-year-old Romanian arsonist. Police believe that the Romanian is connected to the betting shop arson.

In 2009, Piripitsis was arrested in connection with an alleged trafficking and exploitation ring of Romanian workers, however, all charges were eventually dropped after the main witnesses left the country.

Piripitsis is expected to go to court today.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.