It should be reminded that Stamati escaped between 1.30 and 5.00 on Thursday morning using the balcony door, whose padlock was found unlocked but not broken. She left the hospital taking all her belongings with her. Stamati had been serving a 12-year sentence for collusion in her husband's armaments kickback case and had been transferred to the Dromokaitio Psychiatric Hospital from the Korydallos prison for depression (or so she claims).
Tsochatzopoulos' wife was accused of money laundering and she had repeatedly asked to be released on health grounds. Unfortunately all her petitions ware denied by the Greek justice system.
She was constantly under guard and her escape has troubled authorities because as it seems that she had access to a key to unlock the balcony door, while the shutters in her room were open, despite hospital security regulations stipulating that they should be closed. From what has been reported so far, none of the locks appear violated, suggesting that Akis Tsochatzopoulos' wife was assisted in her escape by others and from what it seems there was even a plan to hide her.
Some suspect organized crime networks because in a previous investigation it appears that her husband, Akis Tsohatzopoulos, was in contact with major criminals and crime bosses. As such, the police are now focusing their investigations on the possibility of organized crime network being involved in Stamati’s escape. Also, authorities are examining records of her behavior and associations in the hospital over the past few months. As it seems, Stamati was permitted to have a mobile phone, against prison regulations, which may have been used to organize her escape.
As such, Efterpi Koutzamani, a Supreme Court prosecutor immediately ordered an urgent preliminary investigation into Stamati's escape while the Justice Ministry, according to a statement by Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos, has also ordered an urgent disciplinary investigation into the issue.
Meanwhile, the president of the hospital employees Michalis Yiannakos and the president of the prison guards Yannis Anagnostou blamed each other for Stamati’s escape. Anagnostou insisted that the hospital was responsible for the safekeeping of the keys, while Yiannakos argued that it was “shameful” to blame the nursing staff.
In other related news, the four prison guards who were tasked with guarding her were questioned by the police.
Late on Thursday the Greek federation of prison employees said that the people guarding Vicky Stamati belong to special guards and are not prison guards as first thought. In a statement they also clarified that the individuals guarding inmates outside of their jail cells are termed "exterior guards" and are overseen by the Greek police and the central services of the ministry of justice.
Read background to this story by clicking HERE
Sources: To Vima, enikos, newsit, newsbomb, defencenet
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