A statement in which, among other things, it states that the young man who was killed after being chased by policemen in Viotia is not Roma, while expressing his question as to why incidents are taking place, was issued on Wednesday morning by Alexis Kougias, who has undertaken the defense of the 41-year-old policeman whose gun the bullet missed.

Also, Mr. Kougias argues that “the person who delivered the audio document that has been made public up until today has forged it” and “important parts have been cut out that prove, without any hesitation, that the police officer in no way wanted to take his own life of an 18-year-old child and that the shooting is at least an accident.”

The entire announcement

“Last night, I received in my hands the preliminary investigation file, in which there was neither a forensic report, nor a ballistics report, nor any audio document, like the one that was made public yesterday.

After the study, I visited the detained policeman where he is being held and then I was informed for the first time by my colleague, Mr. Georgousis, with whom we cooperate in the defense of the accused, that there is indeed an audio document, which we listened to together and which he himself received from the investigation office after the release of the audio document, which he had also heard.

After the hearing from me, Mr. Georgousis and the accused police officer and after studying the case file I have the following 4 important disclosures to make:

1) The late 18-year-old is not Roma. His mother lost his father from a natural death at a very young age and his mother, a descendant of a traditional family from Dervenochoria, is an employee of the Municipality of Aliartos.

The family has nothing to do with the Roma environment and the two little girls who were in the car, also have nothing to do with Roma, nor with the Roma environment and live in Erythres.

The car, which indeed had features similar to those used by Roma, belonged to the late 18-year-old’s mother.

After this finding, it strikes me how all these, who are usually extreme criminals of the criminal law and permanent inmates of the prisons, cause these incidents and block the traffic on the national roads, but also why the colleague, who permanently supports the accusation in the Roma affairs, giving it a political color, he did not make the publicization that I am doing now, in order to avoid incidents.

2) He, who delivered the audio document that has been released to the public today, has falsified it and cut out important parts that prove, without any qualms, that the police officer in no way wanted to take the life of the 18-year-old child and that the shooting is at least accident.

3) For such a serious case, the publication of the contents of the forensic report, without it having been handed over to the interrogation, has caused me a sad impression.

4) I am deeply impressed by the fact that the medical examiner, who performed the autopsy, testified before handing over his forensic report to the investigative office.

This is to restore the truth and I will beg you to stop all this misinformation of the Greek people about racist causes and about an untrained policeman and let the Justice, free and unaffected, do its duty, without any purpose of political exploitation of another human tragedy.

Athens, 15.11.2023

With appreciation and respect

Alexios Kougias”