By George Psyllides
THE JUSTICE Minister admitted yesterday that the disappearance of two brothers from Kofinou village near Larnaca appeared to be a criminal act.
Nicholas Sinesi Kannas, 31, and his 27-year-old brother Kyriacos have been missing since Saturday, with no traces found so far despite a large-scale search operation launched by the authorities.
Speaking at the Presidential Palace, where relatives of the two missing men yesterday met with undersecretary to the President Pantelis Kouros, Minister Alecos Shiambos said there was still no clue regarding the brothers’ disappearance.
The minister assured the relatives that the authorities would not give up their efforts, while all measures were being taken to uncover solid evidence on the case.
“You realise that such investigations normally start from specific clues for them to be effective; in the particular case we have not been able to find any leads yet,” Shiambos said.
He added that the family had given police some clues and suspicions they had, but that there was nothing specific.
Shiambos said it was absolutely natural for the family to worry, noting that the complaints they had made about the police were due to their anxiety concerning the fate of their loved ones.
On Tuesday, relatives of the two men formed a human chain on the Larnaca to Limassol and Nicosia to Limassol motorways, holding up traffic for 30 minutes in protest at what they said were inadequate police efforts to locate the brothers.
The minister said police could not disclose details of their investigation because it would hinder their efforts.
Asked whether authorities thought the disappearance was a criminal act, Shiambos said: “it seems that all clues and evidence lead towards that direction”.
Several people have been questioned in connection with the case, while police have searched the greater Kofinou area for any traces of the two brothers.
On Wednesday, special rescue teams used high-tech cameras to search 16 wells in the area but again to no avail.
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