Nikos Romanos, who is accused of the explosion at an apartment on Arkadia Street in Ambelokipoi, has been taken to prison.

The 31-year-old accused, during his testimony today before the investigating judge, denied any involvement in the explosion case, stating that he doesn’t know any of his co-defendants. However, he was not convincing and was remanded in custody by the agreement of both the investigating judge and the prosecutor.

Shortly after the decision to remand him in custody, tensions escalated and small clashes broke out, while riot police used tear gas and flashbangs.

Throughout his testimony, many people gathered in the courtyard of the courts, chanting slogans in his support, and following the decision of the judge and prosecutor, incidents broke out.

What he states in his memorandum:

Specifically, in a 12-page memorandum submitted to the investigating judge, the 31-year-old accused argued: “I vehemently deny every charge against me. I have no connection with my co-defendants, they were never people I even socialized with, and I have not participated in any of the actions attributed to me. My only involvement in the case file is a fingerprint on a plastic bag, a mobile object that is not connected to any other evidence in the case file.”

Moreover, in his memorandum, Nikos Romanos included his biographical details, asking the investigating judge and prosecutor not to remand him, something that ultimately did not happen.

He stated that there is no evidence to suggest he is a flight risk
As he further emphasized to the investigating judge, there is no indication to suggest that he is a flight risk.

“I have been under electronic surveillance in the past, when I was a detainee and regularly attended my courses at the Technological Educational Institute, and I never caused any problems or even gave any suspicion that I might commit an unlawful act by violating the conditions,” he stated in his memorandum and added: “At the same time, as you are well aware, and as many police representatives have publicly stated, both I and individuals who have previously been involved with the authorities are under continuous surveillance (…). There is no chance I will commit any criminal act.”

Furthermore, N. Romanos claimed that in 2013, after his imprisonment, he completed his schooling inside the prison and participated in the national exams, succeeding in entering the Technological Educational Institute of Athens. Since then, he claimed, he has consistently attended all his courses while under electronic surveillance (with an ankle bracelet), without ever causing any trouble.

“I continued to attend my school even after my release, and I have about six courses left to finish it,” N. Romanos further stated in his memorandum and continued: “I was released in 2019 after serving my sentence and received conditional release, with a personal presence at the Psychiko Police Department, where my permanent residence was, twice a month. From the very first moment, I adhered strictly to the conditions, and I am submitting a certificate from the Psychiko Police Department (…). At the same time, I decided to work immediately and found a job in a warehouse as an assistant, but due to the lockdown imposed in March 2020, I had to stop. Nevertheless, I still maintain contact with the owner, whose responsible declaration I am submitting, and we are even discussing collaborating again, with me taking on a managerial position.”

He maintains his innocence:
Additionally, the 31-year-old argued that he will attend any future trial to prove, as he stresses, his innocence. “Both the actual facts of this case and my character, as well as my living conditions, confirm beyond any doubt that I will attend the trial and comply with any decision that will be made. I have absolutely no reason not to appear in court, as only by being present will I be able to prove my innocence. My goal and primary concern throughout the development of this case have been and will be to prove the truth and, therefore, my innocence,” he emphasized.

As he added, “The above statements, of course, show that no measure of procedural coercion against me is necessary to ensure that I will appear in court and that, in any case, the imposition of restrictive measures instead of temporary detention is fully sufficient. It should also be noted that temporary detention should be imposed only exceptionally, as a last resort after all possible restrictive measures have been exhausted.”

Finally, it should be noted that the security measures for the transfer of N. Romanos to the investigative office were strict.