Kouremetis, Chris, property developer shot dead, Cradle restaurant Muldersdrift wedding

2010-10-12 Chris Kouremetis, best man at wedding, gunned down, Cradle Restaurant, Muldersdrift -
Armed men opened fire on best man Chris Kouremetis with an AK-47 and a 9mm pistol on Sunday -- just as the unarmed, wealthy property developer was about to leave the Cradle restaurant in Muldersdrift: he was the best man at a lavish wedding ceremony attended by 90 guests, many attending from other countries.

SAPS warrant officer Odette van Staden said Couremetis, a wealthy property-developer, was shot dead in front of 90 panick-stricken guests - many attending from other countries. “We believe this is part of the Rolex gang, who specifically look for their targets,” Van Staden said. Twelve shots were fired in total: two bullets hit Kouremetis in the chest and hand. The other bullets riddled his R1million luxurious Cayenne motorcar with holes – with two female passengers seated inside. Last week, a man was also shot and killed for his Rolex watch in Joburg. He had been returning from a shopping centre when his car was pushed off the road by the armed gang.

Van Staden said police believe the bullet penetrated the heart of Couremetis, a property developer based in Cape Town. “I think this must be the shot that killed him. The other bullet wound in the hand was not serious. When the paramedics arrived at the scene, he was certified dead,” she said. At around 10.30pm, two armed men emerged in the car park and opened fire on Couremetis. When he dropped to the ground, his attackers took his watch and moonbag containing R10,000 – which was wrapped around his waist.

Two women were already seated in the back of the unarmed Kouremetis’ car and he his male passenger were about to get into the car when the shooting started. The guests inside the restaurants scattered in panic, some hiding under tables. The two women were rushed to hospital, where they were sedated and treated for shock. A woman who was terrified of being named said her daughter was among the guests at the wedding ceremony and was still traumatised. Like many other guests, the girl had travelled all the way from Australia to attend her best friend’s wedding. She had been friends with the bride since their high school days.

“Sounds like a hit: no other guests were hit or robbed…”

* “She was so distraught that she could not even relate the story properly. She was vomiting all over the place,” the mother said. “My daughter said people were running around trying to hide as the sound of gunfire continued. It sounds like it was a hit because no other guests were hurt or robbed. There is something fishy,” she added. The dead man’s father, Costaz Couremetis’was too distraught too speak to The Star last night. - The Star http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/wedding-day-bloodshed-1.685487