Twenty-four hours before the election process for the President of the House, three threatening emails were received at DISY headquarters. The messages referred to a planned attempt on the life of Annita Demetriou, who serves as both DISY leader and President of the House.
After Ms Demetriou was informed, a complaint was filed with the Police Cybercrime Unit. Beyond the seriousness of the case itself, concern has arisen over the leak of information – including the disclosure of the emails in full – with party headquarters on Pindarou appearing to believe the leak most likely originated from the Police.
Timeline of messages
The first email arrived shortly after 17:00 on Wednesday, followed by two further messages.
17:04 "Hello. I have very important information about the safety of Annita Demetriou’s life. I know that an assassination attempt is being prepared against her. They want to eliminate her."
18:34 "A man approached me when I met him. He proposed that I kill Annita Demetriou. Since I could not carry out this order, he allowed me to find a killer for this job. Within one week I must find the right person. Better to switch to English."
18:35 "If you do not get in touch, I will not be able to help you prevent the murder."
According to information obtained from the office of the DISY leader, the first email received on Wednesday afternoon was answered. In the reply, officials asked the sender for a contact number or further details regarding the content of the messages.
The sender
The emails appear to have been sent from the address Doctor9@mail.bg, with all three messages originating from the same account. Initial checks suggest they were sent from abroad, specifically from Bulgaria.
Authorities are examining whether a particular individual known to them – who has previously come to the attention of Police and is believed to now be in Bulgaria – may be connected in any way to the sending of these messages. As part of the investigation, assistance from Bulgarian authorities may also be sought.
Tracing the emails
Members of the Cybercrime Unit have collected the necessary data to obtain as much information as possible about the sender or senders. According to sources, specialised tools can be used to identify the IP address from which the messages were sent.
Investigators can also track the route followed by each email before it reached DISY offices. Early findings indicate that the emails are authentic and were sent from Bulgaria.
Police are also examining other aspects, including the wording and grammatical errors in the messages. Investigators are assessing whether the texts were translated from another language into Greek and may reflect poor translation, or whether the sender deliberately used incorrect syntax.
Concerns over leak
DISY has expressed strong dissatisfaction, placing responsibility on the Police for the leak of the threatening messages sent to Ms Demetriou.
Party officials believe the leak occurred after the complaint was filed and the authorities were informed. They argue that only a very small number of individuals within DISY headquarters were aware of the messages, suggesting the leak did not originate internally.
According to the same information, Annita Demetriou raised the issue directly with the Chief of Police, expressing her dissatisfaction with the leak. The Chief of Police responded that it is not currently known where the leak originated and that no hasty conclusions should be drawn, noting that the emails may have been sent to recipients beyond DISY headquarters.
Police statement
In a written statement, Police said:
"The Police assess with due seriousness the reported threats against Ms Annita Demetriou, President of the House, and have already initiated an investigation into the case. At the same time, the Police are in continuous communication with the relevant security officials and are taking all necessary and appropriate measures. Mr Themistos Arnaoutis, Chief of Police, held a telephone communication with Ms Annita Demetriou, President of the House, during which both the reported threats and issues relating to the handling of information around the case were discussed. For the protection of the investigation, no further details can be provided at this stage. The Police reiterate that every report concerning threats against any individual is immediately assessed and investigated with the seriousness required by the circumstances."
