CYPRUS: Suspects in Attorney General murder plot remanded for eight days

The three suspects, all Greek Cypriots, were arrested on Sunday night, after a coordinated operation by the Police, acting on a tip off from a prisoner in Nicosia Central Prison.

The three men are suspected of participating in a conspiracy to commit murder, to commit a serious crime, to possessing explosives and military explosive materials, an anti-tank launcher, automatic guns and pistols.

The first suspect is serving a four-year prison sentence in prison, the second is a former army officer and the third is from Famagusta District.

Speaking at a press conference, Police Chief Michalis Papageorgiou said the Police, after a coordinated operation on Sunday night, prevented an assassination attempt against Attorney General Petros Clerides.

The attempted assassination was to have taken place with the use of an anti-tank missile launcher, type “Low”, and the suspect was arrested when he was delivering that weapon, said Papageorgiou, who clarified that, according to all available evidence, the anti-tank launcher is of Turkish origin. The plan was to assassinate Clerides either on his way home from office or on his way to office from home.