The 47-year-old claimed to have studied at a renowned university in the United States, appeared as a researcher at an important medical center in Switzerland and said he was an oncologist, specializing in pediatric surgery and pediatric oncology.
He was looking for victims, either patients or relatives of cancer patients or incurable diseases. Desperate and hopeless people. He approached them in hospitals, churches, monasteries, and even Mount Athos and sold them hope. He said he could give them advanced special drugs and innovative therapies that would cure them. The victims ended up paying thousands of euros to the accused as a fraudulent doctor, and three of them ended up paying with their own lives. Two of the victims were minors. 14 and 16 years old. While another 78-year-old man ended up dying. A relative of a deceased child spoke to SKAI.
He had been suffering for three or four years. When he presented himself as a doctor, our hopes were revived. However, our child was lost.
The 47-year-old is accused of giving patients supposed advanced special drugs, of unknown origin, which did not have a label with the contents and some of them contained cannabis. Authorities found dozens of bottles of cannabis oil in his home.
According to the indictment, he promised patients a complete recovery and persuaded them to stop their chemotherapy. He recommended that they follow his own instructions instead of the treatments, while paying thousands of euros. He had extracted more than 58,000 euros from relatives of the three patients who eventually died.
Source: AAP
Another well-known businessman complains that he was deprived of 55 million euros in a few years. But the fake doctor's clientele seems to have been much bigger. According to the authorities, it reaches 50 people, while they are waiting from the publication of his photo, many more to recognize him and for other possible victims to come forward.
Authorities began searching for the fake doctor after complaints from relatives of the victims. It took a 13-month investigation to fully substantiate the indictment. He used a fake name "Nikos Kontos", which is the real name of an expatriate doctor in the USA. A few months ago he even tried to operate on a patient. But a normal doctor realised that the swindler did not even know how to sterilise his hands before the surgery.
Eventually, the prosecuting authorities arrested him yesterday at his home, a luxury fortress villa in Agia Marina, Koropi. He is accused for serial killings, drug trafficking, medical malpractice and fraud. Upon hearing of the perpetrator's arrest, a relative of the victim told SKAI that he felt justice is being served.
It won't bring our child back, but at least no more victims will fall for him.
Along with the fake doctor, his wife and two real doctors who collaborated with him are accused of complicity. His wife appeared as the offspring of a wealthy shipping family to strengthen his social profile. Authorities believe she was aware of her husband's fraud and fled before his arrest. The defendant was given a deadline to apologise to the investigator on Monday.
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