About the pervasive “prosecution” in society, the importance of the presumption of innocence, the trial of the accident with the 21 students in Tempi in 2003, and the invalidation of Irini in Hong Kong spoke with criminal lawyer Sakis Kechagioglou interview to Direct protothema.gr and Giorgos Eugenidis, presenting his 35 years of experience in the legal profession and his view on the role of justice in an environment of intense social pressure.

Sakis Kechagioglou, one of the country’s best-known criminal lawyers, spoke about his long career in criminal law, noting that the personality and style of the advocate play a crucial role in the relationship with the client. As he noted, “criminal advocacy is identified with the lawyer himself. They come for the head of the office,” stressing that trust is a key element in the selection of an advocate. He referred to the beginning of his career at the side of Alexandros Lykourezos, noting that from a young age, he had the opportunity to participate in important trials, such as that of Giorgos Koskota, which made him more widely known. “I was lucky at the beginning when I was a partner of Lykourezos and was involved in big trials, I became known to the nation at the age of 31,” he said.

He stressed that effective advocacy is not about theatrical impressions, but about knowledge and professionalism. “The dude style, insulting the judges and putting on a show for the client to call me a fighter, is too old. It’s outdated. What is needed is a combination of courtesy, legal knowledge, and economy of expression,” he said.

“We are not defending offences, we are defending people”

The criminal lawyer particularly focused on the presumption of innocence, noting that society often violates it. “I don’t think the criminal lawyer can pick and choose cases. If you make exceptions, you’d better take a pew in a church. We are not defending offences but people,” he said, adding that many times the public forms an opinion without knowing the case file. “There should not be a public perception because the file is known by those who are on trial. In the cafes, how can they have an opinion? How do they know the case file? Only the judge can have an opinion,” he said.

In the same context, he referred to the phenomenon he called “insanity“, noting that the trend of generalised strictness has spread in society. “The incurable disease of prosecutor’s disease permeates the entire society,” he said, stressing that the administration of justice requires composure and commitment to the facts.

Asked if there is corruption in the judiciary, he replied that trust in institutions is a basic prerequisite for the functioning of the rule of law. “If there is evidence of corruption in the judiciary, it should be reported,” he said, while advocating for maintaining the current method of selecting the leadership of the judiciary.

The trial for the 2003 Tempe accident

He made special reference to the trial for the bus accident in Tempe in 2003, in which 21 students died. Sakis Kechagioglou described the atmosphere in the courtroom, noting that despite the gravity of the case, the proceedings were conducted with institutional calm. “The atmosphere was calm and polite despite the 21 happy families, the defense and prosecution lawyers were in complete harmony, and there were no demonstrations either, although the state was responsible because for years they had been shouting that the site was a carmaniola and they didn’t fix it.”
He noted.

At the same time, he stressed that in any criminal proceedings, the focus remains on the accused. “The central figure in a criminal trial is the accused,” he said, adding that the judge must examine the motives and personality of the person in the dock. “I always see the person behind the accused. I want to know the springs and motives,” he said.

The Vayoni case and the acquittal of Irene in Hong Kong

The well-known criminal lawyer referred to the Vayoni case, noting that he has reservations about the legal assessment of the act. “I am still of the opinion that the decision was wrong. I think it was fatal bodily harm, not intentional homicide,” he said, noting the importance of legal interpretation and the judges’ assessment of the facts.

Sakis Kechagioglou also spoke about the case of Eirini Melissaropoulou, who was accused of transporting cocaine to Hong Kong and eventually acquitted, a case that was the subject of his book. He said the decision was based on the jury’s doubt as to whether the young woman knew what she was transporting. “The jury doubted whether Irene knew what she was carrying. I had asked them: How do you lead a young girl to prison for 30 years? She was ending her life,” he said, noting that doubt is a fundamental principle of criminal law. “This doubt must also exist in law in Greece,” he added.

Relationship with religion and personal attitude to life

In the interview, he also referred to his personal relationship with religion, noting that he treats the issue of faith with discretion. “I am very careful to publicly proclaim matters of faith. Usually, there are hypocrites behind the proclamations,” he said, stressing that faith is a personal matter.

He said his professional career has brought him into contact with Church affairs and said he believes in the immortality of the soul. “I absolutely believe in eternal life and the immortality of the soul. But not in heaven and hell. What form immortality will take remains to be seen, but I have the deepest faith that we do not end here,” he noted.

Sakis Kechagioglou added that he remains active in the legal profession after 35 years of practice, stressing that he is not thinking about retirement. “I don’t plan to retire, but I don’t plan to die in the courts either. I find this conversation comical,” he said.