61-year-old on remand for extortion

A two-day remand order was issued against a 61-year-old man in Paphos to help police with inquiries into a case of extortion.

According to police the 61-year-old was arrested in connection with extortion, receiving money under threat and illegal earnings.

He is alleged to have lent a 30-year-old man €3,500 in February who agreed to pay back €4,000 within a week. To guarantee the loan, the younger man appears to have handed over the ownership papers of three cars.

Two days later, the younger man visited the 61-year-old and gave him €1,800 at which point one of the ownership papers of the cars was given back to him. On March 8, he paid back a further €850 and got back a second ownership paper.

On April 2, the 30-year-old again visited the older man and gave him €400 and said he would return later the same day with a further €100.

The 61-year-old did not accept the money and told the 30-year-old that he still wanted €4,000 and threatened him with violence if he did not pay up.

A warrant was issued against the older man, on the basis of which he was arrested.

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