The long-awaited trial regarding the extorsions against the Deputy Regional Governor of Ilia, Nikos Korovesis, began on Wednesday (5/11). According to patrisnews.gr, the case is being tried before the Three-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies of Patras, with six people sitting in the dock.

The charges they face
The defendants include two main suspects, aged 36 and 45, who are being held in pre-trial detention at Korydallos prison, three lawyers and a private individual. They have been referred by the Ilia Misdemeanor Council to stand trial for one felony and one misdemeanor.

Specifically, the two principal defendants are charged with extortion by threatening to harm the victim’s public function, jointly and separately, continuously and non-continuously, completed and attempted, professionally. The other four defendants will be tried for direct complicity in extortion by threatening harm to the victim’s public function, completed and attempted.

All defendants have also been charged with forming a criminal organization to commit a felony, namely that they organized themselves with the purpose of committing professional extortion by threatening harm to the victim’s public function.

The 36-year-old and 45-year-old, who are allegedly the “masterminds” of the extortion ring, shared with each other their private conversations with the victim, and then proceeded repeatedly to acts of extortion against him, for the purpose of obtaining financial benefit, threatening him with harm to his public function.

According to the judges’ reasoning, they had set up an infrastructure to profit from these extortions, using lawyers, who in all three cases conveyed to Korovesis the threats of the two main defendants regarding publication of his private data — which would harm his public function — and they negotiated payment amounts, giving their actions an appearance of legality. In some instances, they even signed declarations, private agreements and receipts.

The lawyers, as well as the sixth defendant who acted as collector of the extortion money, are accused of providing direct assistance to the two main defendants in committing the crime of extortion by threatening harm to the Ilia Deputy Regional Governor’s public function, completed and attempted.

He testified for five hours
The Deputy Regional Governor of Ilia testified for five full hours, answering questions both from the bench and from the lawyers supporting the prosecution as well as the defense lawyers.

According to the reporting, he described the events as he experienced them, speaking of intimidating and terrorizing behavior against him, aimed at harming his status.

At the same time, Mr. Korovesis stated that the defendants acted as a gang, with a deliberately planned and organized scheme.

The court adjourned due to the end of the hearing hours, and the trial will continue on Monday, November 10.