Α 26-year-old Indian man was remanded in custody for eight days on Thursday in connection with the murder of a Romanian national, 33, in July, during what appears to be a disagreement over a sham marriage.
The suspect was arrested on Wednesday after he was returned by Turkish Cypriot authorities at the Ayios Dometios checkpoint in Nicosia. The 26-year-old tried to escape to the north after allegedly killing Andrei Popa on July 22 in Larnaca.
Popa’s badly decomposed body was found on Wednesday, buried in a field off Artemidos Avenue.
He had been reported missing on July 23 by his partner, 33, after he left the house they were staying at in Larnaca with the suspect and another man to go to the Romanian embassy in Nicosia to pick up some documents.
At around lunchtime, according to the woman’s statement, Popa phoned her and told her that the two had taken him to an unknown location where they beat and robbed him and tried to take his mobile by force.
The woman said she had tried repeatedly to contact him after that but to no avail. The phone was switched off later, she said.
Police told the court that the woman informed the suspect, with whom she had held a sham marriage in 2018, and then went to the police to report the case.
However, she was met there by the suspect who prevented her from reporting the case, saying the 33-year-old would be returning home later.
Police secured an arrest warrant against the suspect who at that time had crossed over to the north.
From the house where Popa was staying, police collected a number of items for forensic processing. The rental car used by the men to travel to Nicosia was located in Larnaca on July 25. Inside, police found blood, which they later linked genetically to the victim.
The court heard that the suspect was detained on Wednesday morning and during questioning, he admitted to arguing with Popa because he wanted money.
The suspect claimed they drove to a farming area in Aradippou where Popa got out of the car and tried to escape.
The 26-year-old said he caught up with him and shoved him to the ground. The suspect said he left the victim there unconscious, but returned later that evening and saw that he was dead.
He loaded the body in the car and drove to the area where it was later found buried.
Police said the suspect indicated the location to officers on Wednesday.
He later led them to the area where Popa allegedly fell and died. The suspect also told police where he had dumped Popa’s id and mobile phone, which were recovered.
Police told the court that the suspect and the 33-year-old woman were married in May 2018, after which she returned to her country. She told police she returned in July to find work, followed a few days later by the victim who came to Cyprus to marry the suspect’s partner.
The woman also admitted that she returned because the suspect had problems with his residency and they had to appear together before the authorities to prove their marriage was not a sham. For her services, the woman said she received €2,000.
The suspect’s partner, according to police, claimed that the 33-year-old had recommended she married Popa for €2,000 to secure her stay in Cyprus.
Police said they were seeking one more suspect in the case.