The trial is underway with journalist from Volos, Dimitris Maredis, website owner, accused of blackmailing former deputy minister Zetta Makri. First to testify as a prosecution witness was the complainant Zetta Makri, who spoke about the good relations she had with the accused and how his attitude gradually changed with negative publications and the pressure she received to give him money.
The former deputy minister of Education, according to magnesianews website, testified that from September 2024 to May 2025 she received a barrage of negative publications from the accused’s website, resulting in irreparable damage, something the accused knew and therefore blackmailed her to give him money. She even claimed he told her that by writing negative comments he had advertising and if he stopped the publications it would decrease.
When asked about the negative publications she gave as an example one of them which stated that she had been dismissed from the government. She also said she left the folder with 5,000 euros with the accused telling her he would issue an invoice which he would cancel later. However, the witness told him no and eventually his accountant issued an invoice, who had her tax details and referred to her as a parliamentary candidate.
After the complainant MP’s testimony, the Court adjourned.
Trial for Zetta Makri blackmail: The threats and marked banknotes
The trial resumed with the witness being examined by defense attorneys.
When asked why she didn’t tell him why he was asking for money, he replied “we are family and you appear on other media.” She also said he threatened her that if she left the ministry and didn’t give him work, he would fire her…
She also said he told her that since she wasn’t in government and didn’t have money to tell her business friends to give it instead.
Explaining her difficult position, Ms. Makri added that the accused is a person who has a good media outlet. “He could destroy my reputation and he extorted money from me,” the former deputy minister stated characteristically.
In his testimony, a security police officer said he received a call to go to a café at the port. After a few minutes the MP left and the accused remained at the table with a blue A4-sized folder.
When he opened the folder, he entered the café, told him his identity and that he was under arrest. The man followed him without the slightest resistance.
The witness said the blue folder contained a smaller one that contained an amount of 5,000€ that was marked.
