Greece police minister: 2010 Marfin bank arson case now 'watertight' after arrests

Greece’s police minister has pledged to resolve one of the country’s most notorious unsolved crimes: a 2010 bank arson that killed three people, including a pregnant woman, during an anti-austerity protest.

Michalis Chrysochoidis told Ta Nea daily on Saturday that the case was now “watertight” following the arrest of two men in the Athens area this week. A woman is also set to be extradited from Britain in connection with the attack.

“There is evidence, and the law has been fully observed under the supervision of the prosecutorial authorities,” the minister said.

The Attack

On May 5, 2010, during an anti-austerity protest, a firebomb was thrown at the Marfin bank in central Athens, killing three bank workers, including a pregnant woman. Three bank officials later received manslaughter sentences for negligence, but the perpetrators were never caught.

Minister’s Personal Involvement

Chrysochoidis, who was also police minister at the time of the attack, described the incident as “one of the most heinous crimes” in Greece over the past five decades, saying it had “left a mark” on him. In a separate interview this week, he stated he had “personally worked for two years” with officers on the case.

Investigation Breakthrough

According to news reports this week, police identified the suspects using advanced digital photographic analysis and a tip-off from an anonymous email. Lawyers for the suspects have described the evidence as “scant” and “unreliable.”

Chrysochoidis confirmed on Saturday that authorities are seeking additional suspects. “There are still perpetrators who have not been identified,” he said.

Context

The 2010 attack occurred just three days after the socialist government of George Papandreou signed the first of three eventual bailouts with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Those bailouts would total 350 billion euros ($400 billion at today’s exchange rate).