Suspect confesses to dam murder

By Martin Hellicar

AN ARADIPPOU man has admitted killing former special policeman Fotis Petrakides on April 2 this year.

The bullet-riddled body of father-of-three Petrakides was pulled out of Aradippou dam outside Larnaca three days later.

George Zavrantonas, 22, yesterday pleaded guilty before the Larnaca Assizes to six charges in connection with the killing near Koshi village in the Larnaca district. The charges were causing death by an illegal act, illegally carrying three pistols and two rifles, illegal use of a kalashnikov and possession of twenty cartridges.

Zavrantonas is to be sentenced on July 2.

Another suspect is being held in connection with the murder — 30-year-old Christos Tziakouris, from Yeri outside Nicosia. He is due to appear before the same court later this week.

Police say Zavrantonas, Tziakouris and the 55-year-old murder victim, from Engomi in Nicosia, were all involved in a gun-running ring bringing weapons onto the island from Bulgaria via Greece. It was investigations into Petrakides’ murder that led to the uncovering of the ring.

Zavrantonas has led police to a well at Aradippou and to Larnaca port, where they found two stashes of weapons believed to be part of a haul smuggled through Limassol port by the gang between January and April this year.

Two more men are being held in connection with the suspected gun-running. They are Greek taxi driver Yiannis Tournas, 50, and Georgios Pais, 30, both from Larnaca.

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