Tempi: How the trial over the “missing” videos collapsed, intense scenes caused by Konstantopoulou at the Larissa courts

The proceedings regarding the “missing” videos of the freight bid volition present beryllium conducted from scratch, arsenic the proceedings—ongoing since past October astatine the Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Larissa—collapsed yesterday. The presiding judge, pursuing a heated speech with lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou, who represents the prosecution, stated she could nary longer تحمل the insults and submitted a connection of recusal.

Six hours later, this petition was accepted by the competent judicial council, and the proceedings was postponed indefinitely. This means a caller day volition request to beryllium set, and erstwhile the proceedings resumes—likely successful a fewer months—it volition commencement from zero, with a antithetic justice connected the bench.

Up until now, the tribunal had held 19 sessions and heard 3 witnesses. “Tell maine your name, who you are, and explicate the reasoning down accepting the judge’s recusal,” Konstantopoulou shouted erstwhile different justice took the seat to denote the decision.

Before the council’s ruling became known, unprecedented scenes unfolded astatine the Larissa courthouse. Konstantopoulou launched repeated attacks against the presiding judge, triggered by her determination regarding entree to copies of integer grounds recorded by court-appointed adept Stavros Batzopoulos, who had arrived astatine the bid clang tract successful the aboriginal hours.

Specifically, the justice decided that lawyers supporting the prosecution would beryllium granted entree (copies) lone to the worldly recorded by the adept and seized connected March 6–7. However, the tribunal reserved judgement connected different worldly seized from the expert’s enactment machine astatine the Region of Thessaly. As the justice explained, this was to let for the imaginable assignment of different adept to place applicable material, successful the beingness of method advisors for the victims’ families.

A tense speech followed:

• Konstantopoulou: “Are you withdrawing your erstwhile decision? That was not your earlier ruling. Why didn’t you accidental this connected the 10th erstwhile you fainted? This is simply a scandal…”
• Judge: “Please! I privation the copying to proceed calmly…”
• Konstantopoulou: “It takes 30 minutes and you cognize it…”
• Judge: “Do not shout…”
• Konstantopoulou: “You are mocking people, the victims’ parents…”

During a break, Konstantopoulou persistently questioned whether the justice had met with the caput of the Judges and Prosecutors Association and accused her of acting nether outer instructions. She adjacent searched for the justice successful the courthouse corridors and yet recovered her successful the bureau of the court’s chief.

Back successful the courtroom, tensions escalated further:

• Konstantopoulou: “You went 3 times to the chief’s bureau during the break… This is simply a shadiness justness operation… Tell america who pressured you…”
• Judge: “I went to get a key. Everything other you accidental is unfounded… I person received nary pressure.”

Finally, the justice stated: “Under these conditions, the proceedings cannot continue… I volition taxable a recusal statement; I person received galore insults.”

What happened with the evidence

It was antecedently revealed successful tribunal that the adept who visited the clang tract had videos and different worldly stored connected some his mobile telephone and his enactment computer.

Following this testimony, lawyers for the prosecution requested the seizure of the worldly and entree to copies. On March 9, 2026, the justice approved the request, and the worldly was seized the adjacent time and handed implicit to the Larissa court.

However, connected March 10, the justice requested a recess, astir fainted, broke into tears, and the proceedings halted. The adjacent day, erstwhile lawyers arrived to get copies arsenic antecedently ordered, the determination was reversed, reportedly by bid of the court’s chief, citing the lack of the presiding judge.

When the proceedings resumed yesterday, alternatively of handing implicit the grounds arsenic expected, the tribunal partially reversed its earlier decision. The authoritative noted that immoderate files mightiness beryllium unrelated to the lawsuit and unclear successful format. As a result, entree was granted lone to portion of the material, portion the remainder remains nether review.