The trial for the death of Sifis Valyrakis continued at the Mixed Jury Court with witness examinations. Valyrakis was found dead in the sea area of Eretria on January 24, 2021.
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Amateur fisherman Panagiotis Seras took the witness stand, describing what he claims to have seen on the day of the incident. According to his testimony, he had gone to the fishing shelter of Eretria and observed the boat of the two accused professional fishermen anchored there. Although during the preliminary investigation before the Coast Guard he had claimed he hadn’t gone fishing that day, he later admitted he had taken his boat out to sea, as his movements had been recorded via satellite system.
Before the court, as he had told the investigator, he stated that he saw Sifis Valyrakis’s inflatable boat and another plastic boat nearby. “I noticed it making circular movements. Then it left toward Kalamos, while the inflatable remained motionless,” he testified in court.
The court and lawyers asked the witness a series of questions regarding his initial denial about going fishing. He responded that his mind “froze” and he didn’t mention it, expressing fear of being targeted. “Later the Coast Guard called me a murderer. I made the mistake of not saying I had gone out. They told me they saw me from satellite,” he said, answering the president’s question about what he feared.
Earlier, Dimitris Polyzoidis testified in court, having served as president of the local fishermen’s association for several years. The witness directly challenged the credibility of eyewitness Ev. Asmanis, who claimed to have seen the boat of the two accused approaching and surrounding Valyrakis’s inflatable, describing an altercation at sea.
“Valyrakis fell into the sea alone”
“Asmanis is a liar, he’s a complete liar, he has told lies. I didn’t know about the incident. Why would the boys go and do this? It’s all lies,” he stated, maintaining there was no aggressive action. At another point in his testimony he said: “Valyrakis fell into the sea alone.”
When asked by the court how he knew what happened, given that he wasn’t present at the incident, he replied that he had no direct knowledge but estimated this is what occurred, citing his personal experience, as he said he had lost his son in a similar way. The proceedings were adjourned and the trial will continue on March 3.
