Two Afghans remanded for city murder
An investigating magistrate probing the suspected involvement of two Afghan nationals in the fatal knifing of a 44-year-old man near central Athens earlier this month ordered on Wednesday that the pair be remanded in custody after deeming their testimonies to be contradictory.
The two Afghans, aged 20 and 27, allegedly claimed to have been under the influence of alcohol and drugs when the incident occurred and that their original statements to police had been made while they were intoxicated.
They reportedly insist that a third man – a Pakistani who remains at large – stabbed 44-year-old Manolis Kantaris and stole his video camera.
The magistrate, however, said he was unconvinced and drew attention to contradictions. The 27-year-old allegedly claimed to have grabbed the camera from the Pakistani after the stabbing to sell it in order to get cash for drugs. But in a later statement he said he had intended to return the camera but then had seen the victim?s blood, panicked and fled.
The younger Afghan allegedly told police that the Pakistani man had taken the camera.
