Saturday Night. June 29, 2002. A few minutes before 11. Many British and Greek top officers and intelligence agents of the two countries are at a wedding reception in Lagonisi. She was marrying one of the top officers of her British mission Scotland Yard in our country. It is well known that after the execution of Brigadier General Steven Saunders, the British had "personally" taken the issue of dismantling the domestic guerrilla organizations and had imposed in their way both their presence in Greece and taking the reins of investigations. from the hands of their American colleagues who were then said to "fall from one blunder to another and πίσω send back the search for people who are members of organizations."
At the wedding reception, then, the atmosphere is pleasant. There is widespread optimism that "soon something good will happen in the fight against terrorism." Such is the optimism, in fact, that already at noon that day the newspaper "Vima tis Kyriakis" (the Sunday newspapers at that time were ready by noon on Saturday) almost announced arrests. In addition, in the press offices, days ago there was information (which from one point and then became certain) that soon the developments will be rapid.
This was the main topic of discussion that night at the reception in Lagonisi. Until at some point in the room a diffuse effervescence begins to prevail. Smaller wells begin to form and the phones discreetly at first and with greater intensity then do not stop ringing. A few minutes earlier there had been an explosion in the port of Piraeus and the first reports from the spot said that at least one person had been injured.
As time went on, the information became more specific and slowly, until a few hours ago, a packed room began to empty. The then head of the Greek Police, Fotis Nasiakos, is directed to the point of explosion. The ticket offices of Minoan Flying Dolphins, on the outside of the port of Piraeus. The information he receives forces him to pick up his mobile phone and dial the number of the then Minister of Public Order, Michalis Chrysochoidis, who was in Veria.
"Minister, the incident at the port is very serious." According to what was published in the newspapers at the time and has now passed into the realm of myth, these were the first words of Nasiakos to Chrysochoidis. When the minister asked "how serious", its leader Of the Greek Police he replied: "We have watches"!
Nasiakos…'s mysterious phrase meant that the case had to do with the code name given by her police officers counter-terrorism to the members of "November 17". The fact that, however, he does not directly announce what exactly is happening means that he still has some reservations.
A few hours later, in the early hours of Sunday, the same phone call is repeated. Nasiakos on one end of the line and Chrysochoidis on the other. This time in the conversation there is certainty. "Minister, we have the 17N"!
The very experienced Fotis Nasiakos had learned everything he needed to know. Inside the bag of the multi-injured Savva Xiros there was an old, useless 38-gauge revolver on the base of which is engraved the serial number: 100367. This weapon was stolen by the policeman Christos Matis who fell dead during a robbery committed by members of the organization ETE branch in Petralona at Christmas 1983. Then the same weapon was used in six actions of the "17N" and then - because it was a "seal" - was left on the… edge.
Nasiakos' certainty makes him Chrysochoides to give up everything, get in the dark Audi with the tinted windows he was driving then and start for Athens. He also knew that the moments were historical. On the way to Athens, Chrysochoidis falls into the… block of the Traffic Police in Lamia because he was running at more than 200 kilometers per hour! When he lowers the tinted windows, the police recognize him, he explains that a very critical case is underway and he must arrive at his office as soon as possible.
In a few hours, the then Minister of Public Order is in his office in the building on Katehaki Avenue and convenes a first meeting. Present, the leader of ELAS, Fotis Nasiakos, the head of the anti-terrorist Stelios Syros and Lefteris Oikonomou, spokesman of the ELAS headquarters and who was the man on whom the burden of the communication strategy fell during its dismemberment 17 November.
Chrysochoidis demands careful steps and immediate results. The clear order he gives is to avoid the possibility of leading the whole case to fiasco. Gives specific instructions and directions and asks Nasiakos and him Economou the three of them are in constant communication about anything that arises until the case is "locked". The fourth of the "company" Stelios Syros, the toughest of all, undertakes to "run" the purely police part.
The "trinity" of the Ministry of Public Order is in contact with the British of Scotland Yard, who are asking for the photos of Xiro to be published as soon as possible in order to find out the's idiots. On July 2, the photo of Xiros is everywhere. The next day a woman calls and tells the police that the man in the photo he saw on the news lives at 34 Patmou Street in Patissia. It means a general alarm and Chrysochoidis communicates with Nasiakos and asks him for careful steps.
On July 4, the police "throw" one of the "castles" of 17N. The then deputy leader of ELAS, Polykarpos Dimitropoulos, informs Michalis Chrysochoidis that he is in the grip of the organization. The then minister, however, calls the only person he trusts. Fotis Nasiakos. She asks him if this is the case and he confirms it, saying "weapons, rockets, announcements and even the flag of the organization have been found".
After a few hours, the "trinity" is again in the minister's office. The risk of fiasco is over. The central giafka "fell". Arrests are made and more are coming. Two pieces are missing from the puzzle. Giotopoulos and Koufontinas.
It is said that Chrysochoidis, Nasiakos and Oikonomou (along with Stelios Syros) were locked in the minister's office for hours on the eve of the anti-terrorist operation in Lipsi to arrest him. Alexandrou Giotopoulos. The same people, again, stayed together for many hours when Dimitris Koufontinas was handed over to GADA.
"When the scent of flowers stuns you, do not look for the flower garden. Find out where the funeral is. "Always start from the worst case scenario", Nasiakos allegedly told Chrysochoidis. The bond between them was so strong that those who knew people and things said that their views at one point and then were completely identical. It is no coincidence, after all, that at a time when everyone was celebrating the complete dismantling of terrorism in Greece, they stressed that it was, in fact, the dismantling of the executive nucleus of "November 17".
Then each of the trinity took its own path, following different paths. However, they were always in contact with each other. Even him formation of a government by Kyriakos Mitsotakis. It was the moment when their streets were reunited to be placed next to each other by history once again, as then, 17 years ago, in the building on Katehaki Avenue.