Today, the Court of Appeal resumes the trial concerning those implicated in the death of Zacharias Kostopoulos. Previously, the first trial resulted in the acquittal of the accused police officers, with only the jeweller and the real estate agent, the subjects of the current appeal, being convicted. Initially, they were sentenced to 10 years in prison without the possibility of parole. However, because of his age, the 73-year-old jeweller is serving his sentence under house arrest, while the real estate agent was granted parole pending the appeal trial in December 2022.
The local business owner testifying today declared his acquaintance with the accused and portrayed Kostopoulos as a threatening figure, allegedly armed with a knife. However, this weapon showed up only after Kostopoulos was incapacitated, a point at which the witness admitted to losing sight of him, leading to several inconsistencies highlighted by both the prosecution and the civil lawsuit.
The witness attempted to paint Kostopoulos as menacing, omitting in his initial statement the critical detail of the accused repeatedly kicking Kostopoulos in the head, an addition made only after video footage came to light.
He oddly referred to Kostopoulos as a “white-skinned Moroccan” and commented on his “brawny” appearance within the premises.
The court and the prosecution questioned the credibility of the witness’s account, especially his claimed observations of Kostopoulos’s threatening demeanour, contrasted with his supposed absence during the physical retaliation against Kostopoulos, and his convenient recollection of events following the release of the video evidence.
Civil action lawyers Clio Papapantoleon and Annie Paparrousou, raised doubts about the timing and content of the witness’s statements, particularly questioning the allegation about Kostopoulos robbing the store. The absence of his fingerprints on the cash register, as well as the jeweller’s failure to account for his inventory post-incident underpins their questioning of the witness’s account.
The court dismissed the defence’s attempts to generalise Kostopoulos’s demeanour as subjective and unhelpful, reflecting the trial’s complexity and the contradictions in the witness testimony.
The proceedings were abruptly halted because of a bomb threat in the building.
______________________________________________
Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.
Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.