By a Staff Reporter
A LARNACA court yesterday remanded a 57-year-old man in custody for eight days on suspicion of stealing and selling church icons.
Police sergeant Costas Michael said Kofinou police station was investigating Argyro Demetriou from Paliometocho in Nicosia on suspicion of breaking into churches, stealing icons and illegal possession of church icons during the period May 30 to June 8.
According to police, an icon worth £150 was recently stolen from Ayia Paraskevi chapel in Choirokoitia. On June 4, the suspect allegedly tried to sell the icon to car salesman Costakis Nicolaou in Larnaca for £20. Nicolaou, suspecting something was wrong, bought the icon and took it to Kiti Archbishopric, where it was determined to be the stolen icon. On June 8, Demetriou showed up at Kofinou police station for an unrelated matter and was arrested in connection with the icon theft.
During his interrogation he allegedly took police officers out to his car and showed them another 18 icons he had stashed away. The court heard he was unable to give a coherent answer as to where they had come from and police plan to ask church experts and priests for help.
The court also heard Demetriou had been separated from his wife for 15 days and had been involved in similar offences in the past. He also has psychological problems and was an alcoholic with no permanent address, sleeping in his car the past fortnight, the court was told.
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