The high-profile trial of the prominent Papadimitriou shipping family resumed last Friday in its second phase, focusing on allegations of illegal trafficking in antiquities found on the island of Schoinousa and in the upscale Athenian suburb of Paleo Psychiko.
The case, which first drew national attention in 2006 and entered the courts in 2018, involves accusations of unlawful possession and handling of cultural treasures. In 2022, members of the family were acquitted by the Appeals Court of felony charges relating to the embezzlement of antiquities of exceptional value, allegedly committed repeatedly and systematically. However, Greece’s Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) later overturned that ruling, restarting the legal proceedings from near scratch in December of last year.
Expert Witnesses Take the Stand
Friday's session featured testimony from two highly respected archaeologists: Panagiotis Chatzidakis and Dr. Christos Tsirogiannis, a leading expert in international antiquities trafficking affiliated with the University of Glasgow and a professor at Cambridge.
Both archaeologists had been present during the now-infamous 2006 raid carried out by the Athens Security Department's Antiquities Theft Unit at the family’s villa on Schoinousa, as well as their residence in Paleo Psychiko. The operation was overseen by then-prosecutor Ioannis Diotis.
Tsirogiannis: "Seventeen albums and 805 artifacts identified"
Dr. Tsirogiannis testified that during a second raid in April 2006, authorities confiscated 17 photo albums containing 2,217 photographs. These images depicted 1,315 artifacts, all but one of which were confirmed as ancient and museum-worthy, many of them of exceptional artistic quality. To date, Dr. Tsirogiannis has managed to match 805 of these items with antiquities currently held in museums, auction houses, or private collections worldwide. Some of these objects, he noted, have since been repatriated in cultural exchanges between Greece and Italy.
Ancient artifacts from the vast collection of Robin Symes and Christos Michaelides.
He also revealed that ancient amphorae were discovered at a property linked to the family’s villa caretaker, and stressed that one of the accused family members had direct knowledge of the artifacts, allegedly engaging in both buying and selling them.
Chatzidakis: "Parts of the villa were built with antiquities"
Archaeologist Panagiotis Chatzidakis provided a startling account of the villa’s interior, describing 20 to 30 boxes filled with valuable artifacts. “Some were integrated into the structure, while others were not,” he noted.
What was particularly shocking, however, was his observation that certain parts of the villa had actually been built using ancient materials. “Some areas of the property were literally constructed with antiquities,” Chatzidakis stated.
The Shocking 2006 Raid
When police raided the villa in April 2006, they were reportedly stunned by what they found.
The 335-square-meter estate was adorned and partially constructed with ancient artifacts, originating from both Greece and Southern Italy. Some were stored in wooden crates or wrapped in cloth in storage rooms. Others were embedded into the villa’s structure. Priceless relics had been used to decorate the gardens, pool area, private chapel, and other semi-outdoor spaces.
Among the most significant discoveries were three marble busts in wooden crates, wooden, clay, and marble flooring removed from unidentified ancient buildings, and detached frescoes. In the family’s lavish residence in Paleo Psychiko, investigators also uncovered Egyptian antiquities.
According to the official indictment, the artifacts recovered date back to prehistoric, ancient, Byzantine, and post-Byzantine periods, extending as far as 1830.
The case continues to attract public interest due to the scale of the alleged operation, the prominence of the defendants, and the cultural significance of the artifacts involved. As proceedings move forward, the court will weigh not just legal culpability but also the broader implications of illicit antiquities trafficking on global cultural heritage.