Independent criminal investigator Savvas Matsas was called in to testify on Tuesday in the ongoing inquiry over the cause of death of National Guardsman Thanasis Nicolaou.
The court has been hearing the third inquiry into the death.
Thanasis’ body was found under a bridge in Alassa in 2005 and his death was deemed by the army and police as a suicide. But after his remains were exhumed in 2020 over suspicions of foul play, further autopsies showed he had been beaten and strangled.
Despite the family’s efforts to delve deeper into the circumstances by requesting the testimonies of coroner Elpida Spanoudaki and Police Officer Melis Antoniou, the court dismissed these appeals.
These testimonies were sought to explore allegations of Thanasis being physically assaulted in September 2005.
Matsas, who was appointed by the Attorney General, has been pivotal in examining extensive evidence comprising 6 box files and 4,000 pages.
Highlighting the dire conditions Thanasis faced, Leto Kariolou, the family’s attorney, prompted Matsas to describe the soldier’s living conditions at the military camp.
“He was subjected to constant and merciless bullying by three soldiers, in various ways. He was a civilised person, quiet and religious. They exploited him, forced him to do menial tasks, and called him an ‘Australian’ and ‘kangaroo’. They forced him to make erotic confessions to a lamp,” said Matsas.
He also mentioned that two days before his death, he asked the camp commander for a transfer. As Matsas said, it was not considered that Thanasis was facing great danger. He added that shortly before his death, he smelled something and said to other soldiers, “What are you doing there, it smells like incense.”
“Thanasis wanted to leave, he was seen crying and being upset,” noted Matsas, also mentioning that after guard duty, some soldiers put papers between his toes and lit them.
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