Zafeiropoulos murder suspect remanded in custody
A 32-year-old man who has allegedly confessed to taking part in the contract killing of lawyer Michalis Zafeiropoulos in Athens last month was remanded to custody pending trial on Thursday.
The Albanian national gave a brief account of his actions to an investigating magistrate, in which he reportedly admitted to his role in the fatal shooting of the prominent criminal lawyer.
The 32-year-old is a fugitive from Kassandra Prison in Halkidiki after skipping out on furlough granted on September 5. He had been due for release in December, after serving a six-year sentence for theft.
Now he faces charges of premeditated manslaughter, instigating murder and illegal weapons possession, among others, as he is accused of carrying out the fatal shooting.
The 32-year-old was with another man, aged 30, when he visited the lawyer’s office in downtown Athens with orders to intimidate rather than kill him, investigators said on Wednesday.
The pair had allegedly been commissioned by three Albanian convicts looking to extort 5 million euros from a jailed power firm executive with whom Zafeiropoulos had a professional relationship.
The 30-year-old remains at large.
