Greek police arrested a man, a pseudo-doctor, as responsible for the death of three cancer patients. Among his victims were two children, aged 14 and 16, and a 76-year-old man. The man would falsely identify himself as a doctor, convince his victims or their relatives to interrupt the therapies. He would then provide them with dubious substances in return of large sums of money. From one patient alone, he had received 15,000 euros.
Following a 13-month long investigation by the police of the Attica Department of Property Rights Protection, the 47-year-old Greek was arrested in his villa in an area of East Attica at Tuesday noon.
Against him there was an arrest warrant for murder, fraud, drug trafficking and malpractice of the medical profession.
According to Police, the 47-year-old pseudo-doctor appeared with false identity, as a neuro-oncologist-neurosurgeon-physiotherapist, but also as a researcher at a major medical center in Switzerland, specializing in pediatric primary surgery and pediatric oncology.
He would further strengthen his “social-professional” profile and become more persuasive as he presented himself as the offspring of wealthy families and / or relatives of well-known families, as an executive of the International Committee of the Red Cross and as a member of an American investment venture or even as a pilot of the Air Force and a CIA agent.
His methodology was to approach citizens with serious or incurable health problems or their relatives, persuade them to interrupt the medical treatment they were receiving and follow the “treatment” he would recommend thus promising complete healing.
The “treatment” included the administration of substances of unknown origin and chemical composition, without medical indications, which he presented as supposedly advanced special drugs that had developed during his research.
Among the 65 bottles confiscated by police some were containing also active cannabis substances.
In many cases, the pseudo-doctor appeared in various diagnostic centers, as a doctor / companion of patients who underwent various examinations, or undertook the coordination of surgeries.
With is actions, he obviously put the health and lives of the patients he cheated at risk and extracted large sums of money which he would receive either in cash or in form of checks.
In one case alone, he had received at least 15,000 euros.
In the three cases in which the patients died following his instructions, the two minors and the elderly man, the man had managed to extract over 58,000 euros.
The number of patients who cheated is estimated to be large, with at least 45 cases have been identified, so far.
In the three cases in which the patients died following the instructions of the two minors, 14 and 16, as well as the 76-year-old, the detainee had managed to extract more than 58,000 euros.
Among the things police confiscated in his home, are two air guns, two knives, a religious icon (possibly precious in violation of the antiquities law), stickers of professional medical identity, handwritten notes with dietary programs, herbs, etc. as well as CDs with examination results of various patients. .
Police has identified three more Greeks as his accomplices, while it investigates the participation of more people.
The man has been taken to the prosecutor.
According to media, police is expected to release pictures of the dangerous fraudster, in order to identify more of his victims.
