New details are emerging about the process that led authorities to identify and arrest two individuals for the deadly attack on the Marfin Bank branch, centering on the comparison of photographic material from the day of the riots with older images of the suspects. According to information broadcast by SKAI, the Greek Police (ELAS) investigation was based on the cross-referencing of two separate photographic archives. The first includes 205 photographs taken by a photographer during the events of May 5, 2010. According to the case file, six of these images show individuals allegedly involved in the attack on the bank — smashing the glass facade and throwing Molotov cocktails inside, resulting in the deaths of three employees.
Marfin: The red scarf covering the face
According to SKAI’s information, this photographic material formed a central part of the case file and was compared against a second archive containing photographs of suspects from 2009, most likely taken during a holiday on the island of Ikaria. This archive had been seized in 2020 by the Counter-Terrorism Unit, and in these photographs the individuals’ faces appear uncovered.
Based on the police investigation, one of the two defendants — a 42-year-old man — is identified as the individual wearing the red scarf over his face. Police state that his identification is not based solely on his body type and footwear, but primarily on distinctive acquired characteristics of the backpack he allegedly carried, including rust marks on the zipper that are not easily visible to the naked eye. According to Greek Police, the same backpack appears both in the 2009 holiday photographs and in those taken on the day of the riots.
The second suspect is described as a tall man wearing a light-colored cap and prescription glasses. His identification is attributed to the cap and glasses, but most significantly to a red punk band symbol painted on his bag. According to the case file, the same bag with its distinctive artwork appears in both the 2009 holiday photographs and the photographs from the day of the riots.
In the case of the 46-year-old woman, the evidence cited by police is more limited, as her identification relies on body type and hair rather than any specific object. As for the tall man referred to in the case file as “Suspect No. 8,” there is a photograph showing him breaking the bank’s glass facade — evidence that does not exist for the other two defendants.
For their part, the defense attorneys for all three argue that in its report, police proceeded to identify not faces but movable objects. Regarding the 46-year-old woman, they also note that police had failed to identify her using the same body of evidence during the 2020 investigation.
