First instance prosecutor Charalambos Lakafosis decided to order the exhumation of the body of 39-year-old Costas Tsalikidis next week. The prosecutor is set to reopen the case of the Vodafone network manager’s death after two coroners and his family doubted his reasons to commit suicide over his alleged involvement in the wiretapping scandal of 2005.
Tsalikidis allegedly hung himself in his apartment in Kolonos on March 9, 2005. The autopsy claimed it was a suicide, but the deceased’s family asked coroners Theodoros Vougiouklakis and Steven Karch to re-examine the medical records. According to their forensic reports issued in September 2011, there was not enough evidence to support the theory of suicide and there had been several omissions made. Further details from the body’s position suggested that Tsalikidis may have been initially poisoned and afterwards placed in a noose position.
In February 2006, evidence came to light regarding the wiretapping scandal against the then PM, Kostas Karamanlis, and other members of his government. Vodafone had supported that the illegal software employed to tap the telephone conversations of the officials was deleted a few hours or days before Tsalikidis’ demise.
Now the prosecutor has granted the relevant demand of Tsalikidis’ family to re-investigate the cause and circumstances of his death. As soon as the body is exhumed, new tox screens and x-ray screenings will be performed on the body.
According to medical examiner Dr. Steven B. Karch, the suicide scenario will be most probably replaced by an intended homicide scenario, in which Tsalikidis was first disabled or poisoned by some toxic substance and then hanged.
Tsalikidis’ family members have pointed out that all new evidence on the case emerging to date proves that the 39-year-old was a murder victim, and his death was staged to look like a suicide by the ones who attempted to spy against the national interests of the country.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
