The two of the three suspects charged in connection with the fatal arson attack on the Marfin bank branch in May 2010 appeared before the Third Investigating Judge. They face multiple counts of joint homicide, and the judge is expected to decide whether they will be remanded in custody pending trial.
The third suspect was arrested yesterday at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom while holding a ticket to return to Greece and voluntarily surrender to the Greek authorities, as her lawyer had previously announced. She is due to appear before British judicial authorities today to begin extradition proceedings to Greece.
Hours before the defendants’ depositions, the lawyers representing all three suspects held a press conference, arguing that the case file contains no scientific evidence conclusively identifying their clients.
The third suspect is appearing before British judicial authorities today following her arrest at Gatwick Airport.
The lawyers cited a report by the Hellenic Police’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which found that image comparisons did not lead to conclusive identification, instead producing assessments such as “limited” or “moderate” similarity, or stating that “no conclusion can be drawn.” “Above those categories are ‘strong,’ ‘very strong,’ and ‘identification,’ and none of the arrested individuals falls into any of those categories,” lawyer Thanasis Kampagiannis said.
The defence also argued that the investigation was reopened on the basis of an anonymous email, while claiming that the identity of its sender was never adequately investigated. The lawyers linked the latest developments to previous investigations in 2012 and 2020, which were also triggered by anonymous information but, they said, did not result in convictions. “This time, the case begins with an anonymous email received by the Security Police, but no one is investigating who sent it,” said Dimitris Katsaris, who represented the defendants acquitted in the 2012 case.
The defence further accused public officials and media leaks of portraying the case as solved in violation of the presumption of innocence. “They speak as though the case has already been solved. Beyond violating the presumption of innocence, this is also dangerous for our clients, who are appearing before the investigating judge in an atmosphere where conclusions have already been formed. An attempt is being made to create a climate in which any investigating judge or prosecutor who does not order their pre-trial detention will come under enormous pressure,” they said.
Source: Kathimerini [1], [2], News24/7
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