Lignadi trial: It is a murder of character, he fell victim to a conspiracy “says Lignadi’s brother

The brother of Dimitris Lignadis, Giannis Lignadis and the businessman in the field of Theater and Media, Dionysis Panagiotakis, were today on the podium of the witness of the Mixed Jury Court defending the former head of the National Theater.

The witnesses, who had been examined before the investigator who handled the case, ruled out any possibility that Dimitris Lignadis was accused of raping minors, giving their own version of what the complainants claim against the prominent defendant.

Mr. Panagiotakis, who opened today’s proceedings with his testimony, said that he met the accused in 1997 through his ex-wife, Eleni Kourkoula, and that since then Lignadis has become his friend with whom they have worked professionally many times. The witness confirmed what his ex-wife said about the joint vacation they had with Lignadis in August 2015.

President: Where were you in August 2015?

Witness: I had to tell the truth to my friend and the person I knew. I searched on my cell phone and saw photos and videos on the beach in Ithaca. I saw that it was reported that on August 8, 2015 that he was in Epidaurus and raped while he was in Ithaca. I was terribly attacked as if I were a rapist because I told the truth. I was threatened.

As the businessman pointed out about the accused: “I have never seen him with minors. I hear that these days. “What I was living was a normal situation.” He added that the complaints come from people who are not in the theater.

Prosecutor: Should the complaints come only from people in the area? Is there such a criterion?

Witness: No, but they are people who are not of the space, they do not know their environment, so I get into thoughts. These types are “visits”. Any woman or man appears (on media) in this way, provocatively, I understand that.

Asked by the Civil Action if he shares the view that the case is a product of a conspiracy that emerged from the Association of Greek Actors, Mr. Panagiotakis replied that “I have not been able to do such a big thing” while a little later when he was called to testify if he knows something specific about the conspiracy against Dimitris Lignadis, said: “It is not my position to answer this. I have an opinion, I have no knowledge.”

Mr. Giannis Lignadis in his testimony said that his brother was attacked by a specific collective of journalists and spoke of “execution of a death contract”, for “extermination of personality”. He also expressed his belief that in such cases “there is planning”.

The witness referred to rivalries “in the context of the interdependence that exists in the Theater” that affected the case of Dimitris Lignadis: “There were intense and creeping rivalries that occurred when they were given the field, ie after January 2021. “a fanaticism unprecedented and showed some dynamics. It is clear.”

President: Are they getting to the point of building a conspiracy? Why only in this case did the rash occur?

Witness: Manifested with others. My brother was personal, they have to do with his identity, politics – ideology. From the first moment, with the common mind, immediately from the dim initials, I realized that it was made and in fact not well. It was just that the situation was such that the field was open for these complaints. I am convinced that it is a conspiracy, there is not just evidence, but evidence.

President: Were these necessarily false?

Witness: That is for you to judge. However, they (persons he named earlier) had given his guilt. They were talking about a pedophile rapist, they were sure. With a toxic shell, a malignancy, an unprecedented aggression.

The trial continues on Monday.