Suspect in murder of civil engineer remanded
The 44-year-old suspect in the murder of civil engineer Panagiotis Stathis in the northern Athens suburb of Neo Psychiko was remanded in temporary custody following his testimony on Thursday.
Arrested last Tuesday, the suspect appeared in court under heavy security for three hours of testimony.
Despite his extensive criminal record, including the kidnapping of the shipowner Periklis Panagopoulos, the suspect denied any involvement in last week’s murder. Police have linked him to CCTV footage of the killer’s scooter, while traces of gunpowder were also found on his belt.
Stathis, a land surveyor who often worked on Mykonos, was shot outside his Athens office, prompting an investigation into his professional activities for potential motives.
The investigation into the murder has also triggered a wider attempt to crack down on organized crime. Supreme Court prosecutor Georgia Adelini ordered coordinated investigations of mafia-type criminal activity in Mykonos, other islands, Attica and Thessaloniki, while Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said on Thursday more arrests were imminent.
