Two referred to trial in Pyla torture case as organised crime probe deepens

Two men aged 48 and 27 were referred on Friday to stand trial before the Larnaca criminal court in connection with a torture case linked to organised crime.

The court ordered that the case proceed to trial, setting the first hearing for April 27.

The offences are alleged to have been committed during last summer in Larnaca.

The two defendants face 16 common charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, participation in a criminal syndicate, abduction, causing actual bodily harm, and assault.

They are also charged under legislation against torture, inhumane and degrading treatment.

Additional charges relate to the unlawful possession and transfer of a firearm, as well as carrying a weapon with intent to cause harm.

Prosecutors allege the offences formed part of a systemic pattern of violent enforcement.

According to the prosecution, the case involves six victims.

They include three Cypriot nationals, one of whom is currently abroad, two foreign nationals, and a European national whose identity has not yet been confirmed.

The torture allegations came to light earlier this year after police seized mobile phones containing videos described in court as “shocking and degrading”.

In one recording, a man is seen with a swollen eye and visible head injuries as the 48-year-old punches him, insults him and spits in his face.

At one point, the victim appears to urinate during the assault.

In a continuation video, the suspect strikes the man on the head with a knife as he screams, threatening to mutilate him.

Other footage shows a foreign national begging not to be beaten as he is repeatedly struck on the head with a metal object while demands for money are shouted in English.

Blood is seen running from his nose before he collapses from a chair during a further assault involving the 27-year-old suspect and a third man still at large.

In another sequence, a victim is forced to sit on a sofa while the suspect pushes a gun into his mouth, questioning him while the weapon remains lodged between his teeth.

Additional videos show knives being sharpened in front of victims, hands being slashed, belts used to whip exposed bodies, and repeated kicks as victims cry and plead for mercy.

One victim appears in 16 separate videos filmed in the same room.

Police said he was interrogated about alleged surveillance of the suspect’s home, with the assailants accusing him of being sent to kill the 48-year-old.

In the footage, he clutches his head as he is shouted at, before being dragged and kicked by multiple attackers.

Investigators say the footage shows victims being held against their will and abused inside premises operating as illegal casinos in Pyla.

The gaming supervisory commission has stressed that the location shown in the videos had “nothing to do with the licensed casino resort”.

Police have said they are examining more than 3,000 photos and videos recovered during the investigation, adding that the volume of material points to “sustained and systematic abuse” over an extended period.

The case forms part of a crackdown on organised crime in Larnaca, which has intensified following violent incidents in the town, including a mass brawl and a shooting outside police headquarters in January.

One of the key figures repeatedly emerging in related proceedings is businessman Lazaros Phillipou, who has been linked in court to alleged protection rackets and criminal enforcement activity.

Phillipou is connected to businesses operating in and around Pyla and Larnaca and has been held on remand in separate proceedings involving interference with judicial processes and violent crime.

His betting company BookieCo recently had its operating licence expire and was not renewed, a move justice minister, Costas Fitiris, described as “a key tool” in hitting organised crime by cutting off access to legitimate business fronts.

Court hearings in recent weeks have also revealed allegations that a criminal syndicate imposed security arrangements on nightclubs and entertainment venues, extracting money through intimidation.