A 58-YEAR-old businessman from Limassol was yesterday remanded in custody for six days in connection with a case of attempted murder against a real estate agent.
The court heard that suspect Manolis Mavromatis thought Christakis Christoforou had mishandled his London property and had therefore allegedly ordered the August 9 hit against the estate agent.
Alleged hitman, Pavlos Hadjicostas, 29, is also in police custody.
The two men, police said, had met two years ago when Christoforou agreed to manage the suspect’s property in London, which included offices, land and houses.
Christoforou had told Mavromatis that many of his houses had remained vacant and that he had to pay tax of £80,000 sterling.
The suspect then allegedly asked Christoforou falsely to declare that the houses had been rented out to a specific company.
The agent refused, adding that they needed to spend an additional £15,000 sterling for work ordered by fire brigade inspectors.
Police said this had made Mavromatis suspect that Christoforou was lying in order to pocket the money himself.
Mavromatis flew to London last December and met Christoforou with whom he apparently argued.
Police said the two men argued again at Larnaca airport six months ago in front of two eyewitnesses.
Christoforou said he had been constantly threatened by the suspect and tried to put a stop by warning him that he would tell the authorities he had allegedly smuggled £3 million to London.
Christoforou is flying to London today to bring documents concerning the case.
Christoforou narrowly escaped death on Thursday when a gunman fired two shots at him on the deserted Limassol to Platres road near the Marotsi shooting range. He apparently owes his life to the fact that the gun used in the attempt jammed.
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