New evidence has led to a new charge against the two doctors in the investigation into the death of Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis. The charge was upgraded after the investigating judge received a report from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Under the new indictment, the two doctors now face a charge of homicide with possible intent, an offense punishable by life imprisonment under Greece’s Penal Code.
The two defendants are expected to appear before the investigating judge Tuesday at 1 p.m., where they will submit written statements and answer the judge’s questions.
Critical minutes at the clinic under scrutiny
Authorities are examining, minute by minute, what happened before Mazonakis collapsed at the clinic, as well as what happened afterward.
The investigation is focusing on witness statements, photographic evidence and data from the machine that recorded the singer’s vital signs.
According to the taxi driver’s statement, Mazonakis arrived at the clinic at 1:55 p.m. Ten minutes later, at 2:05 p.m., the secretary reportedly stated that the singer entered another room together with the doctor.
Particular importance is being given to an analysis of the plasma exchange machine’s data, which, according to the investigation, reveals a significant gap in time before emergency medical services were called.
The machine began operating at 2:14 p.m., recording various measurements and triggering alerts. According to the evidence under examination, the plasma exchange procedure began at 2:37 p.m.
The plasmapheresis was stopped at 3:22 p.m., which, according to the investigation, may be linked to a loss of blood circulation in the patient’s system.
At 2:45 p.m., the doctor reportedly took a photograph of Mazonakis, who was lying on the clinic bed with his eyes closed.
Authorities are examining the photograph to determine what vital signs were being recorded at that moment. Meanwhile, investigators are awaiting the lifting of telecommunications privacy restrictions to determine whether the photograph was sent and, if so, to whom.
According to the evidence being examined, the singer remained connected to the machine, which recorded his pulse, blood pressure and oxygen levels.
At 3:23 p.m., the machine activated an alarm because, according to the data under examination, the vital signs had been lost.
At that time, according to information being examined by authorities, both doctors were in the room. According to the same information, it does not appear that immediate help or assistance from clinic employees was requested.
About 13 minutes later, an attempt was reportedly made to restart the plasma exchange procedure. It stopped automatically because the patient’s body was not responding.
The clinic secretary reportedly testified that she saw the two doctors going in and out of the room. About 45 minutes later, according to her statement, she was asked to call Greece’s National Emergency Medical Care Center.
Paramedic’s ‘key’ testimony
The ambulance service was eventually called at 4:23 p.m., almost an hour after the first alarm that, according to the evidence under examination, had recorded the loss of vital signs.
The crew arrived at 4:26 p.m. According to the paramedic, the patient was already in cardiac asystole.
“The patient, as we found, had no spontaneous breathing, no pulse and was presenting with bilateral pupil dilation. We immediately took over and continued CPR, while we also placed a defibrillator, which showed that the heart rhythm was non-shockable,” she said.
The digital evidence
After EMTs arrived, authorities are also examining what actions were taken inside the clinic. According to the evidence under investigation, the two doctors asked employees to clean the premises while they remained at the clinic.
At the same time, according to the same information, the appointment in question was deleted from the clinic’s computer.
Shortly after 7 p.m. and before they were taken to Athens Security Police, the doctor reportedly also deleted from her cellphone the photograph she had taken earlier.
Revelations cause shock
The authorities are now awaiting further evidence from the lifting of telecommunications privacy restrictions, as well as the full analysis of digital and forensic evidence, to establish exactly what happened during the critical minutes before and after the loss of the singer’s vital signs.
The revelations emerging about the two doctors and how they handled the death of the beloved artist have caused shock.
On Monday, relatives, friends, colleagues and people from the Greek entertainment industry gathered at the Third Cemetery of Athens to say goodbye to the late singer. In an atmosphere of deep emotion, they came to bid their final farewell and honor his memory, leaving behind moments and memories of his career and contribution to Greek music.
