According to Brazilian media, the body of a man found in a burnt-out car north of Rio de Janeiro is that of Greek envoy to Brazil Kyriakos Amiridis.

Police suspect 59-year-old Kyriakos Amiridis was the victim of a “crime of passion”, Rio news program RJTV reported.

The Greek ambassador’s wife is being questioned.

Quoting unnamed sources within the Rio force, RJTV said that police were working on the assumption that Kyriakos Amiridis’ wife had conspired to kill the ambassador.

Kyriakos Amiridis had traveled to the city of Nova Iguacu, north of Rio de Janeiro, to spend the Christmas holidays there with his Brazilian wife, Francois Amiridis, whose parents live in the city.

Image source India.com

Francois Amiridis reported her husband missing on December 28.

She told police that her husband had left the apartment in the car he had rented on December 26 without telling her where he was going.

The burnt-out car was found on December 29 under a flyover on one of the main access roads to Rio de Janeiro with a body inside.

Forensic tests have revealed the body is that of Kyriakos Amiridis, but police have not yet officially confirmed the test results, RJTV says.

Police investigators also said that they had found blood stains on the sofa in the apartment that Kyriakos and Francois Amiridis were staying in.

They told local media that they thought Kyriakos Amiridis had been killed in the apartment before his body was taken away in his rental car.

A member of the military police was taken in for questioning on December 29 and two other people are also being held.

RJTV said police sources had told their reporter that they suspected the police officer and Francois Amiridis of having an extramarital affair and of conspiring to murder the Greek ambassador.

It is not yet clear what the two other people who have been detained are suspected of.