Crete: Former Deputy Mayor Detained in Homicide Case

A court in Heraklion, Crete, has ordered the pre-trial detention of a 57-year-old former deputy mayor. He faces charges of being the moral instigator in the death of Alexandros Daskalakis, 49, from Apessokari. The former official had been under house arrest for ten days due to a disagreement between the prosecutor and the investigating judge. The investigating judge had supported his continued detention.

The 57-year-old denies any involvement, as do his 32-year-old son and a 59-year-old shepherd, who are accused of being the direct perpetrators and are already in custody. All three maintain their innocence, stating they have no connection to the fatal injury of Daskalakis, a well-liked figure in the Messara region.

Initially, testimonies suggested the death was an accident, causing confusion during the preliminary investigation. However, witness accounts from the victim's wife, sister, former brother-in-law, and friends, combined with past disputes over agricultural damages caused by the accused's family animals, shifted suspicion towards foul play. The forensic report, delivered on May 20, became a crucial piece of evidence. It concluded that Daskalakis's head fractures were caused by a single blow from a blunt object while he was standing upright, indicating homicide.

The defense publicly disputes the report's findings and plans to request an opinion from a three-member committee at the Ministry of Justice. Meanwhile, the Heraklion Security Directorate has submitted critical requests for the full investigation, including lifting phone privacy, analyzing telecommunication data, processing video footage, and conducting DNA tests. The responses to these requests are eagerly awaited as they may provide further evidence in the case.

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The court decided on the pre-trial detention of the 57-year-old former deputy mayor.