Judge to decide on remand order for murder suspect

INVESTIGATORS holding a bank robbery suspect accused of killing a member of the public who had given chase expect to finish their preliminary investigation by the end of the week.

Today, the Larnaca district court is to decide on whether or not to extend the remand of 27-year-old Zanettos Tsapatsaris for a further eight days.

The victim, Iacovos Kyriacou, was in a Bank of Cyprus branch in Larnaca when it was held up by a masked armed robber. When the robber fled on a moped, Kyriacou jumped into his car and chased him through the busy streets.

The chase ended at a supermarket car park, where Kyriacou managed to knock the suspect over with his car. As Kyriacou got out of the vehicle, the robber shot him in the stomach.

Kyriacou succumbed to his injuries in hospital later that afternoon.

The victim left behind a wife and two young children.

Yesterday, police said they were still waiting for lab results to come back from forensics and that they had almost finished taking statements from witnesses at the bank and during the chase.

Once the investigation is completed, Tsapatsaris will most likely be taken before a Larnaca district court where he will answer charges brought against him.

He is set to be charged with premeditated murder, a charge that carries a life sentence, armed robbery and illegal possession of weapons.

Due to the nature of the charges against him, Tsapatsaris will be tried at the Larnaca Criminal Court.

The investigators already have in their hands the written confession of Tsapatsaris while a large number of statements have been taken from witnesses who saw and, in some cases, recognised the suspect during the shooting.