The allegation that the prosecution against the former artistic director of the National Theatre Dimitris Lignadis was intended to hurt the government, actress, politician and close friend of the accused director, Eleni Kourkoula, raised again today at the Mixed Jury Court of Athens.
In fact, the witness said that many actors who would have liked to testify in favor of Dimitris Lignadis did not come to the court. "There is a terrorist atmosphere that many actors who could come are afraid because there is Twitter, which curses and swears. There are the channels that for too long, they have not done the best information, so the whole world is gathered," she said, noting that she nevertheless has a positive intuition.
The witness was examined in the audience by advocates supporting the prosecution as well as the defense, and pointed out that to her the men who denounced Dimitris Lignadi seem "strange personalities." For her characterization of the complainants, the witness was asked a lot of questions by the prosecution support counsel.
Yannis Vlachos (prosecution support counsel). What do you mean?
Eleni Kourkoula: There are some young men who say that they dreamed of becoming Ruvas one, a big star the other. I wonder apart from their contact with Lignadi, did they do anything else in that direction, did they try to get into that field? Did they go to a conservatory? A school? I find strange people who say I called him from the airport, we went to my house, he hit on me and I went back to his house because I wanted to be a Ruvas (...) I understand that Ali (the complainant) did a prison guard in Sweden for a while and then I saw that he had a strange professional life in Dubai. I saw pictures of him. How did he suddenly find himself doing real estate? I have never met such people in my life, first time here..."
Counsel persisted and again invited the witness to clarify what she meant by describing the complainants as "strange personalities". In response, she said she did not diagnose in the first complainant "a child who went through the toil of life to conquer his dream", while addressing counsel she said: "Look to your children to learn how to conquer what they want with effort and not become starters." She said that it takes effort to become a musician and the most talented and hard-working ones succeeded.
Maria Kourtesi (counsel supporting the prosecution): Why did you use this word, viziers for complainants?
Eleni Kourkoula: I didn't use it for complainants. I said that despite many people showing their bodies on social media, they are often viziites.
Continuing to answer questions from the prosecution's supporting counsel, Ms. Kourkoula also testified that Culture Minister Lina Mendoni "fearing political costs to defend herself and the government resigned Lignadis..." In fact, as the witness said, "there was a rumor that something would happen with Lignadis. An atmosphere had been created as if it was Kufodina. I believe that this had been going on since before, and suddenly we saw an interview with Nikos S."
Maria Kourtesi: Can you specify who is so jealous of Lignadis and who is after him?
Eleni Kourkoula: I don't know by name. The theatre is highly competitive.
Maria Kourtesi: Were they directors? Actors?
Eleni Kourkoula: I don't know.
Maria Kourtesi: Their motives?
Eleni Kourkoula: Envy. I don't think it has anything to do with personal, they found a lively erotic man to hurt the government.
Maria Kourtesi: Two immigrants will hurt the government?
Eleni Kourkoula: Our impression then.
Subsequently, the witness was examined by Alexis Kougias, defense attorney for D. Lignadis.
Alexis Kougias: When Mr. Lignadis was selected as either a professor or deputy director of the National Theatre School, was there any objection?
Eleni Kourkoula: None. Kourkoulos was the first to take him to the National Theatre.
Alexis Kougias: Was there even one to complain either boy or girl that he took advantage of his position?
Eleni Kourkoula: No, never.
Alexis Kougias: Here they accuse him that all these years while he had thousands of children either in drama schools or in schools (Arsakeio, Iasmos, University of Peloponnese etc.), he raped these four...
Eleni Kourkoula: There was never anything.
Alexis Kougias: Ms. Koniordou is minister until 2019, did a journalist ask a question that there are whispers about Lignadis?
Eleni Kourkoula: No.
Alexis Kougias: A few months before the complaint, Ms. Koniordou chose Mr. Lignadis to return to the theater. She chose him when he was an unethical man?
Eleni Kourkoula: Of course not.
However, today's proceedings were not lacking in counter-arguments and verbal confrontations between the opposing parties. The trial will continue tomorrow.
Source: Proto Thema
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