Step by step, the case file compiled by the Greek Police (EL.AS.) details the movements of the 39-year-old Turk who was arrested and confessed to the brutal murder of the 61-year-old OPAP agency owner in Paleo Faliro.

According to the Homicide Department’s investigation, the perpetrator initially approached the crime scene on January 19 at precisely 20:10. He then left by tram from the “Panagitsa” stop (opposite the victim’s agency) and returned on foot about 20 minutes later.

For at least 8 minutes, he lingered at the tram platforms (the “Panagitsa” stop opposite the victim’s agency). After surveying the area, he entered the shop to carry out his plan.

What’s more, from a security camera near the victim’s agency equipped with an audio recording system, police heard sounds resembling human screams.

On January 20 (the day after the murder), the perpetrator went to a gambling agency in central Athens, where he cashed in a ticket worth €5,000 that he had stolen from the victim’s agency.

The Ticket That “Gave Him Away”

The ticket in question was a €100 KINO ticket played by a customer at the agency on the morning of the murder, which won approximately €5,000. The victim had kept the ticket in a black pouch (later stolen by the perpetrator) to redeem it at the bank and then pay the customer.

The black pouch was also where the 61-year-old kept the shop’s earnings, carrying it with him at all times. (It’s worth noting that during the crime scene investigation, the black pouch was not found.)

Asylum Rejection for the Arrested Turk

Regarding the 39-year-old Turk who was arrested and confessed to the crime, sources reveal that he was not an asylum seeker.

He lost this status on October 22, 2024, when his request was definitively rejected on appeal. Earlier, on June 5, 2024, his application had been deemed unfounded and was rejected in the first instance by the Competent Reception Authority, the Asylum Service of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.

Why He Wasn’t Deported

The 39-year-old had entered the country illegally and submitted his application while in administrative detention at the Amygdaleza detention center.

Regarding why he wasn’t deported, sources from the Ministry of Migration state that, in cases where an application is definitively rejected, the police decide whether deportation or voluntary departure is appropriate. In this case, it was deemed unnecessary to deport him, and he was allowed to leave voluntarily.

How the Tragedy in Faliro Was Uncovered

The tragedy was uncovered at 20:50 when a female customer approached the agency entrance and saw the perpetrator leaving without realizing what had just occurred.

The woman then entered the victim’s agency to play a gambling game. While searching for the employee to validate her ticket, she noticed “bloody footprints” on the floor leading to a room behind the cashier’s counter. There, she discovered the victim lying in a pool of blood.

The Perpetrator’s Testimony

During his testimony, the 39-year-old Turk claimed that he entered the gambling agency to play a game, but the victim, under the pretense of closing, insulted and forced him out. A confrontation ensued, during which the victim allegedly threatened him with a knife and struck him on the left hand and head with a wooden object.

The perpetrator reportedly grabbed the knife from the victim’s hand and began stabbing him until he realized he had killed him. He then took all the money he could find, as well as the victim’s pouch. Later, he discarded the knife and his bloodstained clothes, intending to flee the country.

On January 20, 2025, he claimed to have found the €5,000 KINO ticket in the black pouch he had stolen from the victim, which he later cashed at a gambling agency in central Athens.

Evidence and Authorities’ Conclusions

The perpetrator was found in possession of €7,140, which he claimed came from the KINO ticket winnings and the money he stole from the 61-year-old’s agency.

However, his claims fail to convince the authorities, as investigators believe the motive for the crime was purely robbery.