Marfin case: 46-year-old woman arrested in London for extradition to Athens
A 46-year-old woman was arrested at Gatwick Airport following a request from Greek authorities regarding the arson attack on Marfin bank in 2010
Marfin case: 46-year-old woman arrested in London for extradition to Athens
At 4 a.m. on Monday at London's Gatwick Airport, officers from the British National Extradition Unit proceeded to arrest a 46-year-old woman. She was detained on the basis of an international warrant issued by the Greek judicial authorities, as she is implicated in the fatal arson attack on the Marfin branch in Athens on 5 May 2010.
The 46-year-old, who is the mother of two children, had been permanently residing in Brighton, Britain for the past seven years and worked at the same airport. According to ertnews.gr, when she was informed of the red notice against her, she attempted to purchase a ticket to return to Greece, claiming that she is innocent and wishes to provide an explanation before the courts. However, the warrant had already been activated and British authorities arrested her during passport control, before she could board her Ryanair flight to "Eleftherios Venizelos".
The woman is being held at an extradition service for accused persons in London. On Tuesday 14 July, she will appear before Westminster Magistrates Court, where the process for her extradition to Greece will begin. If she consents, her return will be swift. Otherwise, the procedure may last up to two months. Following the decision, a team from the Homicide Department will travel to London to accompany her to Athens and she will then be brought before the 3rd Investigating Judge.
As part of the same case, there have been previous arrests of two men aged 42, who will testify on Tuesday. Investigations are continuing for two further individuals who are said to have had a decisive role in the attack. The pre-trial material suggests that one of the two wanted men threw the Molotov cocktail inside the bank, whilst the other sprayed flammable material on the building, causing the rapid spread of the fire that led to the deaths of three employees.
As stated by the Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis, "all these police officers and I personally sat down and worked for two whole years" for the investigations to reach this point.
Source: Newspaper of Editors
Source: Efimerida ton Syntakton