Murder suspect ‘surprised’ to hear of victim’s death

DEFENDANT ELENA Skordeli acted “surprised” when she heard of the murder of Andis Hadjicostis on the phone, a witness said in the ongoing trial yesterday.

In his testimony before the court yesterday, Sigma TV news chief Dinos Menelaou said he called Skordeli while driving to Hadjicostis’ home on the night of the murder.

Menelaou said he told her: “Listen to what I’m about to tell you and don’t ask for details, they’ve shot Andi.”

According to the state witness, she replied: “What?” The news chief said she sounded surprised as if it was the first time she’d heard about it.

Menelaou told the court he had learnt about Skordeli buying shares in Sigma from Hadjicostis, who was “enraged” because an employee had secured shares in a “secretive manner”.

“Andis was enraged when Skordeli refused to return the shares and insisted that she had to leave the channel. The defendant felt that since being relieved as news anchor she had been hurt both personally and professionally,” he told the court.

As relations between Skordeli and her bosses deteriorated, the management eventually fired her, he said.

In December 2009, about a month before Andis’ murder, the witness said he arranged a meeting between the former TV presenter and Sigma boss Costas Hadjicostis in the latter’s office.

While Costas wanted to discuss the return of the company’s shares, Skordeli only wanted to hear about her return to the television news. The two failed to reach an agreement.

Menelaou also presented a letter written by Skordeli to him saying “the company’s management had poisoned her life”.

The defendants are television presenter Elena Skordelli and her brother Tasos Krasopoulis who are the alleged masterminds, alleged shooter Gregoris Xenofontos and alleged fixer Andreas Gregoriou.

Hadjicostis was gunned down outside his home on January 11 last year.

The trial continues today.

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