Greek police arrest two 42-year-old men over 2010 Marfin bank arson that killed three employees; third suspect, 46, sought in Britain

Greek authorities have arrested two men in connection with the fatal arson attack on a Marfin bank branch in central Athens that killed three employees in May 2010, reopening a case that had remained unsolved for 16 years.

The arrests and charges

The two suspects, both aged 42, were detained on Friday morning by the Hellenic Police's Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (DAOE). They were transferred under heavy police guard to the Evelpidon courthouse shortly after 5:00 pm, where the arrest warrants were executed. They face charges of intentional homicide with possible intent, committed repeatedly. Other potential charges from the original case file (including attempted homicide, explosion, and possession of explosives) are considered time-barred under the 15-year statute of limitations, leaving the homicide charge as the sole active count.

Before the investigating magistrate, the two men requested and were granted an extension until Tuesday to prepare their defence. They will appear before the 3rd regular investigating magistrate on that date.

A third suspect abroad

An arrest warrant has also been issued for a 46-year-old woman who is believed to have left Greece years ago and now resides permanently in Britain. Greek authorities will send an international warrant to British authorities to initiate extradition proceedings. She is accused of being part of the same group that carried out the attack.

The anonymous tip that revived the case

The breakthrough came after an anonymous email was sent to the DAOE (the so-called "Greek FBI"), naming three specific individuals as perpetrators as well as other people allegedly belonging to the same group. The information was deemed serious, prompting investigators to retrieve the case file from the archives and re-examine the entire body of evidence.

Police also searched for material on the three named individuals in other, unrelated case files. Through comparative evaluation of photographic and video evidence, investigators concluded that the three individuals appearing in a separate file shared common characteristics with the Marfin arsonists, including clothing, body build, and other identifying features.

Over the past year, DAOE officers conducted discreet inquiries both in Greece and abroad, assembling and re-evaluating a large volume of material. Reports indicate they even requested digital audiovisual material from foreign journalists who had covered the 5 May 2010 riots.

Defence reaction

The lawyer for the two detained men, Anny Paparousou, told reporters she had not yet seen the case file. She described the emerging details in the media as lacking the substance of a serious prosecution.

I understand that there's been a processing that doesn't befit a serious case file. I also understand there's a need to push the government's pre-election campaign with these findings. I'm almost certain, based on what I'm reading, that the case file has no real standing.

She added that she considered the case "a common prank that will simply be debunked."

What happened in 2010

The arson took place on 5 May 2010 at the Marfin Bank branch on Stadiou Street in central Athens, during mass demonstrations against the first Memorandum. The attack killed three bank employees. At the time, the original case file was opened against unknown perpetrators and was eventually archived.

Searches were also carried out on Friday at the two suspects' homes in Ano Liosia, Chalandri, and Kypseli. Both men are reportedly well known in anarchist and anti-establishment circles.