Brazil policeman 'killed Greek envoy'!

Image copyrightAP

Image captionFrancoise Amiridis had been living together with the ambassador for 15 years

Police in Brazil say the Greek ambassador to the country was killed by a local police officer who was having an affair with the envoy's wife.

Kyriakos Amiridis had been missing since Monday. His body was found in a burnt-out car on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday.

Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho confessed to stabbing him to death, police said.

The ambassador's Brazilian wife Francoise Amiridis has been detained along with Mr Filho and his cousin.

Eduardo Melo is said to have acted as a lookout. The three suspects are being questioned at a police station.

The 59-year-old ambassador had travelled from Brasilia to the city of Nova Iguacu, north of Rio, to spend the Christmas holidays there with his wife and her parents.

The couple had been living together for 15 years and their daughter is 10 years old, local reports said.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionMr Amiridis's body was found in a burnt-out car on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro

Mrs Amiridis, 40, reported her husband missing on Wednesday.

She told police that he had left on Monday in a car he had rented. The burnt-out vehicle was found on Thursday under a flyover on one of the main access roads to Rio with a body inside.

The body was burned beyond recognition, but police said it was that of Mr Amiridis.

Investigators also said that they had found blood stains on the sofa in the flat where the couple was staying and told local media they believed Mr Amiridis had been killed in the flat.

Mr Amiridis served as consul in Rio de Janeiro between 2001 and 2004 and returned to the country as ambassador earlier this year.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionThe car Mr Amiridis had rented was found below an underpass