Lignadi trial: “Because he was the director of Ethnikos, they wanted to hurt him”, Kourkoula testified

Actress and former minister Eleni Kourkoula testified in the Mixed Jury Court as a defense witness Dimitris Lignadis tried for sexual violence against minors and an adult male. Two different versions of the accused director-actor were heard in court today, with Ms. Kourkoula pointing out that never saw him with a minor and another witness from the theater to state that he moved away from the accused in 2006 because he saw him with a boy.

The witness, who stated that they are “brotherly friends” with the accused since 1990, confirmed his claim Dimitris Lignadis that from the beginning until August 20, 2015, the period during which she is reported for rape the artist, was with her on Ithaca vacation. “From the beginning of August until the 20th of the same month. We live in Ithaca so much every year. We rent a house. This 20 days was in two installments. In the first half, Dimitris had brought a friend, Mikelatos. And then came his brother with his niece. Many people saw this in Ithaca and offered to testify “said the witness who just before stressed that” for one of the gentlemen who reported him and says that he was raped, Dimitris wrote in his diary that the specific dates were in Ithaca together “I saw my cell phone: it was full of photos from Ithaca with him. I went to the interrogator and testified. This prestige said after that he confused the dates, as did one of the other complainants.”

According to the witness, who stressed that she had never seen the accused with minor boys, the whole case against Dimitris Lignadis was aimed at:

“Who are these gentlemen who after so many years were in a hurry to report their rape within four days? This is something that shows “to get Lignadis out of the way now”. Some envied him and he always had a personality that provoked envy. I remember an advocate of civil action, who said on television whoever is to accuse Mr. Lignadis of doing so now. I remember that there was someone like that who said “now for Lignadis”. What do I think? “Because he was the director of Ethnikos, they wanted to hurt him”, said Ms. Kourkoula.

Prosecutor: Why did they want to hit him?

Witness: To hurt the minister, himself, and even the prime minister. The minister chose him. When Lignadis was selected for the position of artistic director of the National Theater, he chose to be applauded. When #meToo erupted, they said “here is the golden opportunity to eat Lignadis”. I did not see a serious person, through the theater, denouncing him and saying that “he raped me in the dressing room”. Instead, I saw some strange personalities. Some began to think that it was not on the side of the government, “to have a chance to hit” the lively Lignadis “, to finish him”. And many media outlets managed to do it. “I was hearing about the anthropomorphic monster in those days …”.

Ms. Kourkoula described Dimitris Lignadis as a “nobler than normal” man, stating that “he was always caring. He used to come to our cottage with his relationships and I could see that they were normal. “There was not even a suspicion of the man doing what he wants.”

President: Did you see young people around you on your outings?

Witness: Children never. Guys never, I say it again. With young people women and men, of course.

President: How would you describe him as a person in general?

Witness: I would describe him – as strange as it sounds in this room – as a sweet and tender man.

In contrast to this testimony that closed today’s proceedings, was the testimony of an actor-musician who testified earlier that since 2006 he realized that the accused had an affair with a minor boy and walked away from him.

The witness who knows, as he said, since 1993 Lignadis had collaborated with him writing, as he said, music for works that he directed.

As reported in 2006 by accused “was found with a minor child, I knew it had something to do with the accused and I walked away. I had seen this kid in rehearsals. The accused had never openly admitted to having an affair with him, but you understood that they were together. I had seen other children with him in 2006. This person I realized was not a student of Philosophy, as he said. I had seen him from 2003 to 2004. He was 15-16 years old then. “It was great, I could not understand then that he was a minor.”

According to the witness from years ago, “he was heard – and very loudly – about sexual relations with a minor. There was a common denominator in all of this. These kids were minors we never learned their name, they were taught to be speechless. There was a rumor that he had relationships with children. He stayed with the minor in Epidaurus “.

President: Do you know the complainants?

Witness: No.

Prosecutor: Did you see him accompanied by minors?

Witness: Yes, I and others saw him.

Responding to questions from the Prosecutor, the witness stated that he knew other people who had been abused by the accused and had not appealed to the Court.

Defense: From what age were you in Hatzidakis’s environment?

Witness: From High School Monday. The father of a friend of mine knew Hatzidakis’s sound engineer on ERT and I sent him a demo of mine.

Defense: Why then do you hurt Lignadis to hang out with his students. That is bad;

Witness: It was a group of 4-5 people and this opening and closing was like an audition.

Defense: Why this is bad

Witness: I did not say it was bad.

Defense: Were they not used to Koon’s space?

Witness: I was not in Koon.

Before the depositions began, his lawyer Dimitris Lignadis filed a lawsuit for a false will and the witness NS who testified in the previous trials that he was raped by the accused in 2005 when he was 19 years old.

The trial is set to begin on June 16.