A 34-year-old police officer accused of the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Kostas Frangoulis during a police pursuit in Diavata, Thessaloniki on 5 December was released on Monday, on condition that he not leave the country.
Initially, the examining magistrate and the prosecutor disagreed whether the suspect should be remanded in custody and the disagreement was resolved by a Thessaloniki justices' council in favour of the examining magistrate, who had called for the police officer's release.
The public prosecutor in charge of the case had recommended that the police officer remain in custody until trial since, in his judgement, an officer with his training and experience should not have opened fire in the specific instance.
The police officer in question had been placed under house arrest until the council issued its decision in his case.
In the next days, the examining magistrate ask for new and more accurate criminal charges be pressed against the police officer, given that the young boy has died of his injuries since the original charges were drawn up. He will also be summoned to give additional deposition to the examining magistrate on the new charges of homicide through consciously reckless actions.