Murder in Larnaca could be gangland related

Police are investigating the possible gangland-related murder of a man shot on Thursday evening at his father’s home in the Larnaca village of Ormidhia.

The victim, named as Panayiotis Kallitsionis, was a 29-year-old private security guard and was shot more than once shortly after 10 pm outside his father’s home.

At around 11 pm on Thursday, Famagusta police station received information that gunshots had been fired in Ormidhia and one person was injured.

A British Bases ambulance had arrived at the scene, but paramedics failed to resuscitate the victim – a father-of-two – who had succumbed to his injuries.

The victim was reportedly an eyewitness injured in the quadruple murder in Ayia Napa on 23 June 2016 that claimed the lives of Ayia Napa businessman Phanos Kalopsidiotis, a police officer and his wife.

Albanian Yani Vogli, one of the shooters was killed in the exchange, another Albanian assassin, Aleks Burelli, fled the scene.

Kallitsionis – no stranger to the police – was one of the bodyguards of Kalopsidiotis and was sitting at a nearby table, when the shootings took place.

He was injured in the gunfire in what was a Mafia-style ordered hit

Kalopsidiotis – who had escaped another attempt on his life in 2012 – was having dinner with the couple and their two young children at the Stone Garden restaurant in Ayia Napa.

According to information obtained by the Cyprus News Agency, the victim had gone to his father’s house for a visit and was attacked while he was leaving.

Police were informed that a motorcycle was heard leaving the scene.