Asylum seeker arrested at Kofinou after knife threat

A 51-year-old asylum seeker was transferred to Nicosia central prisons on Friday after he was arrested at the Kofinou reception centre the day before for drawing a knife on a guard of the centre.

The Larnaca district court on Friday ordered that the 51-year-old remain in the Nicosia central prisons until November 5 when the case against him will be adjudicated.

At around 7.20pm on Thursday, the 51-year-old, who was reportedly drunk at the time, drew a knife on a guard at the reception centre who was having a verbal confrontation with another asylum seeker, police said.

The guards notified the police, who went to the scene. As police attempted to arrest the 51-year-old, the latter resisted and bit a police sergeant but did not wound him.

The sergeant was taken to Larnaca general hospital A&E, where he was given a tetanus injection before being released.

Police managed to arrest the 51-year-old after a court order was issued around midnight on Thursday.

The hearing on November 5 will also deal with a second case against the suspect which concerns similar offences committed on June 1 at the Kofinou reception centre.

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