The 54-year-old wing commander who was arrested for spying on behalf of China provided the name of the person who approached him, along with two others, during his eight-hour testimony.

The Hellenic Air Force officer appeared before the military prosecutor today to provide explanations regarding the case. Beyond naming the foreign nationals involved, he insisted that he had no accomplices within the Hellenic Armed Forces.

Following questioning over the leak of classified military information, he was ordered into pretrial detention with the agreement of both the investigating magistrate and the prosecutor, and was transferred to Corinth prison.

His lawyer confirmed that it was the wing commander’s own request to be remanded in custody and judged by the courts.

The three names

The wing commander admitted his actions and claimed that he became involved “unknowingly and without intent,” according to ERT on Tuesday.

He spoke of “peculiar, extremely dangerous and unmanageable circumstances” in which he found himself and asked for “sincere forgiveness from my country, the armed forces, my colleagues, and my family.”

The 54-year-old revealed the full name of the person who approached him through social media, identified as Steven Wayne. Additionally, he named two other individuals who presented themselves as company executives, with authorities now focusing on clarifying their roles.

At the same time, he insisted that no other members of the Armed Forces were involved in the espionage case. It is noted that, beyond commanding his unit, the wing commander also served as a department head at the Hellenic Air Force General Staff.

The investigation continues into his computers to determine what was leaked and the potential consequences.

What he claimed in his testimony

The defendant testified for more than eight hours, with the process beginning early this morning (10/2).

Authorities focused their questions on the contacts he allegedly maintained and on how he handled sensitive military information.

The wing commander, who has confessed to espionage, claimed that the first approach was made via LinkedIn, when — according to him — unknown individuals found his résumé and contacted him.

He asserted that the contact was not made directly from China but through a company based in Malaysia, which presented itself as a private consulting firm providing advisory services to Asian countries, including China.

Subsequently, those who approached him began requesting increasingly classified files and information. According to reports, this is when “Steven,” the Chinese liaison with the American name, became involved.

A trip to China followed, while “Steven” also met the wing commander in Athens and provided him with the codes for a crypto wallet through which payments would be made.

From that point on, he was asked for classified files and information, and as he provided them, he was paid more money.

He claims that when he realized the liaison was connected to China, it was already too late, and threats and blackmail began.

He had already provided information and defense plans that did not concern Greece. According to the wing commander, his goal was to secure his future professional rehabilitation — the next step after leaving the Air Force — and to find a good subsequent job.

“I ask forgiveness from my country”

His lawyer, Vassilis Cheirdaris, read a statement in which the accused assumes full responsibility for his actions without seeking excuses:

“Unknowingly and without intent, I initially became involved in something that developed in a threatening, dangerous, and illegal manner. In my testimony, I did not attempt to justify myself, nor in fact even to defend myself.

From the outset, I placed myself at the disposal of my service and of justice, with the sole aim of facilitating their work in the search for the truth, which in this case is the result of the peculiar, extremely dangerous and unmanageable circumstances in which I found myself, and which led to the acts of which I am accused.

I sincerely ask forgiveness from my country, the armed forces, my colleagues, and my family. Having absolute trust in military justice, I request to be punished with a fair and reasonable sentence.”

Lawyer: He was forced to participate in a process he did not want

His lawyer stated that “the decision accepted his request. My client requested to be remanded in custody, and his temporary detention was ordered, as well as his second request, to be judged fairly and reasonably by Greek justice. He has admitted the facts of what occurred, without exaggeration and without all that is being circulated in the press reflecting reality. He accepted his responsibilities and seeks conviction by military justice. The key point is that he felt relieved by his arrest, as an extremely dangerous process for him was brought to an end. From the beginning, he believed he was not dealing with a state entity but with a private company providing consulting services to companies from China and other Asian countries, helping them find investment firms in Europe, NATO countries, and Western nations — until he went to China. Then things changed and he was unbearably pressured to provide documents that may have concerned sensitive information. He was compelled by circumstances and by fear, as they told him, ‘We know your family, we know where you live, and we know what job you do,’ and he was forced to participate in a process he did not want.”

Revocation of citizenship

It is noted that under the recent law on the new structure of the Armed Forces, final conviction for espionage may even result in the revocation of citizenship.