On the 17th of September 2010, Alexandros Kossivas, Mihalis Traikapis and Maria Εkonomou were arrested in Panorama of Evia Island. Lacking any incriminating evidence, the authorities based their accusations on the vague and fabricated testimonies given by local residents, which refer to a similarity in the appearance of the accused to the perpetrators. All three refused the accusations and are known to the authorities due to their active participation in social struggles. This was sufficient for A. Kossivas and M. Traikapis to be placed in remand, while M. Εkonomou was released awaiting trial. On May of 2011, Venos Polykretis was called by the investigator of Chalkida, as a defendant for the same court case. The comrade was accused, because he was recorded from the toll’s CCTV the day before the robbery, with his other two comrades. The significant of the case is that the cops have not sent, as is required, the call at his house but deliberately concealed it.
On 28/07/2011, A. Kossivas (already in custody for the case of the robbery in Psachna) is informed by accident, that he’s been accused for a robbery which took place in March of 2010 at the National Bank of Schimatari. On August 2 Alexandros shows up at the investigator who informs him that, he has also called M. Economou as defendant for the same case. Neither A. Kossivas who is imprisoned in Korydallos prison, nor M. Economou who shows up once a month at the police station, received the calls in their hands. The concealment of the calls, clearly shows the intention of cops to create an aggravating/incriminating climate and in many cases may mean issuing arrest warrants. The categories for the robbery of Schimatari are based only on the testimonies of a snitch, who, in each of his three testimonies changes his own words and adds0 new contradictory evidence against the comrades.
The trial was set for 18/10/2011 in Chalkida, when it took a break because of the lawyers and judges strike for 26/10. On 26/10 was suspended for a second time due to strike of the lawyers for the 15th of November.
Letter from the three accused of the robbery in Evia, central Greece