16-year prison term for Oroklini shooting

The Larnaca Criminal Court handed a 31-year-old man a 16-year prison sentence for attempted murder, during which a six-year-old boy was also wounded by gunfire.

The 31-year-old, from Ormidia, was found guilty of attempted murder, endangering the life of a child, conspiracy to commit murder, and four charges related to possessing and transporting a firearm and explosives.

The incident occurred on December 4 2022, when the now-convicted man attempted to murder the 42-year-old victim outside his residence in Oroklini, Larnaca.

The victim was shot when he entered his pickup truck to leave his home.

During the shooting, the young son of the victim’s friend was also injured.

The 42-year-old was the target of the attempted murder, and the boy was injured in the gunfire.

The boy’s 40-year-old father, also in the car, managed to exit the vehicle before the shooting.

Police apprehended the suspect 72 hours after the incident, after tying DNA evidence found on a mask recovered from the crime scene.

Upon arrest, the 31-year-old confessed to the crime and implicated a 35-year-old accomplice in the murder plot.

However, the second suspect went missing on December 6, 2022, and remains at large.

During the investigation, a 34-year-old businessman was initially detained in connection with the case but was subsequently released.

It was disclosed that the businessman had dealings with the missing suspect, a 35-year-old named Andreas Christou.

Reportedly, the shooter said he had gone to the businessman’s house in Ayia Napa with Christou to receive €40,000 payment for the hit a day after the incident.

The shooter claims that the businessman had only paid half of the money agreed for the contract.

However, the 34-year-old had an alibi for the time and day the shooter claimed to have gone to his home.