The two 42-year-old men arrested over the deadly 2010 arson attack on the Marfin bank branch in central Athens, which claimed the lives of three employees, have requested and been granted a deadline until Tuesday morning to present their defence before the Third Regular Investigating Judge.

The suspects were brought to the courthouse at the former Evelpidon Military Academy on Friday afternoon under tight security measures, escorted by the Attica General Police Directorate (GADA), on an arrest warrant for multiple counts of intentional homicide.

After being given time to prepare their defence, they were returned to GADA headquarters, where they will remain in custody until Monday.

Meanwhile, the 46-year-old woman also implicated in the case is reported to have contacted Greek police of her own accord as soon as she learned of the arrests, stating that she wishes to return to Greece to testify while pleading not guilty.

According to reports, she telephoned the relevant department of the Greek Police to say that she is not in hiding, is innocent, and wants to return to Greece immediately to appear before the authorities.

The woman, who has lived permanently in Brighton for the past six years and is the mother of two children, subsequently contacted her lawyer, who also represents the two arrested men, to say that she intends to return to Greece without delay.

Her return is expected within the next few days, allowing her to appear before the investigating judge on Tuesday alongside the two other suspects.