Men Gaoled For Deputy’s Death

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31256, 31 December 1966, Page 12

Men Gaoled For Deputy’s Death

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

SALONICA, December 30.

A motor-cyclist who knocked down and killed a Left-wing Greek M.P. in 1963 was sentenced to 11 years’ gaol today.

His pillion passenger was gaoled for eight and a half years.

Thirty people, including high-ranking police officers, have been on trial since October 6 in connexion with the death of Deputy Grigorios Lambrakis on May 22, 1963.

Mr Lambrakis was killed after addressing a ban-the-bomb rally in Salonica. The 10 jurors of the Criminal Court reached their verdict after 13 hours. They found the motorcyclist, Spros Kotzamanis, aged 37, a transport operator, guilty of inflicting grievous bodily injuries which caused the death of Mr Lambrakis. Emmanuel Emmanuelides, aged 29, a house painter, his pillion passenger, was found guilty as an accessory. The jurors’ verdict said that the two defendants had no intention of murdering the Left-wing deputy. Both were deprived of their civil rights for a five-year period. They had been charged with wilful murder in a 506page indictment after 26 months of investigations.

A Right-wing organisation leader, Xenophon Yiosmas, was cleared on a charge of conspiracy in the alleged murder, but was gaoled for one year for disturbing the peace on the night of the killing.

A docker, Christos Fokas, was gaoled for 15 months for inflicting bodily harm on the former Left-wing Deputy George Tsarouhas, who was with Mr Lambrakis.

Nine other people were sentenced to terms ranging from three to 10 months for disturbing the peace. The jury acquitted a police officer charged with conspiracy in the alleged murder, and six police officers accused of dereliction of duty. Two of them were the retired inspector-general of northern Greece and the former director-general of the Salonica police.

Ten civilians were also cleared on charges of disturbing the peace and inflicting bodily harm.