The hearing process continued today before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca - Famagusta for the quadruple murder committed on the evening of June 23, 2016, in Ayia Napa, with the testimony of two eyewitnesses.
The victims of the attack were businessman Fanos Kalopsidiotis, police officer Elias Hadjiefuthymiou, his wife Skevi Hadjieffthymiou and Yiani Vogli, one of the perpetrators.
The accused in the case are Loy Dejan 42 years old, Marios Christodoulou otherwise Benny 39 years old, Panagiotis Pentavkas 38 years old and Sofia Grigoriou 28 years old, who face together the accusations of conspiracy to murder, premeditated murder, attempted murder causing grievous bodily harm, possession of a Class B firearm, possession of a Class A firearm, possession of a Class B firearm and possession of a Class A firearm.
The four defendants were taken to the courtroom of the Criminal Court, accompanied by armed police officers of the MAAD, who were by their side throughout the proceedings. The courtroom was also filled with police officers from various services of the Force.
During today's proceedings, Charalambos Vattis, a close friend of the co-owner of the restaurant, Nikos Papantoniou, read in court the testimony he gave to the Police, which was submitted as a presumption and was part of his main examination.
Reading his testimony, the witness said that on the night of June 23, 2016 he was sitting at a table in The Stone Garden restaurant with Nikos Papantoniou, when around nine he saw Fanos Kalopsidiotis, along with a tall man, a woman and two children sitting despite the entrance of the restaurant to three tables that were joined.
He added that the two guards of Kalopsidiotis were sitting at the next table, while shortly after ten in the evening he heard three consecutive shots and saw Fanos (Kalopsidiotis) fall to the ground and leave the towel and the hat he was wearing.
He further added that he saw two hooded men standing behind the guards' table and then fell to the ground behind a small wall to cover himself. He noted that as he fell to the ground he heard other shots and a baby crying for help.
He added that the killers did not fire but fired several shots, that he heard about 30 gunshots, and that "bullets hit the floor and slammed into me."
According to the witness, as soon as the massacre ended, he saw the three dead and then he saw one of the perpetrators dead. According to him, the two perpetrators entered the restaurant from different places, ie one from the parking lot at the back and the other from the direction of a nearby restaurant and they were about 10 meters away.
He then read the statement given to the Police by Nikos Papantoniou, co-owner with Fanos Kalopsidiotis and manager of The Stone Garden restaurant in Ayia Napa.
The witness stated that on the night of June 23, 2016, Fanos Kalopsidiotis was at the restaurant when they went for lunch with the couple Elias and Skevi Hatziefthymiou, their two children and the police officer George Charalambous. He added that the four together with the children sat at a table in the restaurant while the two security guards of Kalopsidiotis sat at a next table.
He also said that as soon as they finished their meal and while the dishes were still on the table, he heard the first shots, about 15 shots and saw a hooded person throwing shots from a distance of about five meters. The witness said he immediately fell down and crawled behind the wall to protect himself while he saw various objects from the table being thrown by the shots.
According to the witness, as soon as the shootings ended, he heard the children of the Hadjiefthymiou couple shouting for help, went to them, took them and led them to the back of the restaurant, where his wife worked.
He also noted that he saw police officer George Charalambous rising from the ground with difficulty, sitting in a chair and pointing a pistol at the shots. Then, he said, he saw Fano Kalopsidiotis, Elias and Skevi Hatziefthymiou dead, while later he realized that one of the two hooded men was dead.
The witness was questioned and identified the Serbian guard Loy Dejan as one of the people sitting at the table next to the company of Fanos Kalopsidiotis. He also said that as soon as the incident was over, he saw the Serb guard and asked him where he was and he replied that he was in the toilet.
The hearing will continue next Thursday, February 16.