The two doctors who ran the private clinic in Athens's Kolonaki district where Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis died had sought partnerships with luxury hotels on the Cyclades islands, planning to transport their medical equipment there so wealthy clients could receive treatment during their holidays, according to a report by Greek broadcaster Star.
The investigation into Mazonakis's death is now looking beyond the circumstances of his collapse to examine the type of treatments offered at the clinic, the equipment installed there, recovered digital data, and the actions of those present in the hours before he died.
Evidence gathered so far shows the singer had gone to the clinic for plasmapheresis, a blood-filtering procedure. The exact time the treatment began and ended, the moment he developed a serious health problem, and what happened before an ambulance was called are now the focus of a criminal and forensic investigation.
Plan for treatments at luxury hotels
According to Star, the doctor couple who ran the clinic had approached hotel operators in popular Cycladic destinations about offering their specialized treatments to affluent clients even while they were on holiday. The plan reportedly involved moving equipment from the Kolonaki clinic to the islands.
The manager of a hotel in Antiparos confirmed to Star that there had been contact with the two doctors about a possible partnership, though it did not go ahead. Similar approaches were reportedly made to other luxury hotels across the Cyclades, with the aim of having the clinic's services and machines follow its clientele to their summer destinations. Those machines are now at the centre of the investigation.
Star also reported that the clinic advertised holistic therapy and wellness programmes online, targeting clients from abroad with packages that included hotel stays, airport transfers and other arrangements.
What the medical association's inspection found
A report by the inspection committee of the Athens Medical Association has taken on particular significance. It found plasmapheresis machines in the doctor's examination rooms, which she reportedly said had been installed in 2021 and 2026.
The committee noted that photographs from an earlier inspection showed the machines were not installed at the premises in 2025. A cupboard in the room containing the older plasmapheresis machine also contained a centrifuge, even though the clinic had reportedly stated that this equipment had been removed following recommendations from the previous inspection.
Deputy Health Minister Marios Themistokleous was unequivocal about the regulations, saying plasmapheresis cannot be carried out in an ordinary private clinic under any circumstances, and that the equipment should not have been there at all.
The broken defibrillator and EKAV's account
Speaking on the programme MEGA Savvatokyriako, Michalis Giannakos, president of the civil hospital workers' federation POEDIN, described the premises as a fake clinic and strongly criticised the regulatory bodies responsible for overseeing it. He argued that venues carrying out serious medical procedures without the necessary infrastructure, certification and equipment posed serious risks to public health.
Giannakos relayed what he said paramedics from the national ambulance service EKAV found when they arrived at the clinic, roughly four minutes after being called. He claimed Mazonakis had no breath or pulse, and was suffering cardiac asystole and dilated pupils. He said a defibrillator at the singer's feet was not working, forcing paramedics to use their own equipment, though defibrillation proved impossible because there was no cardiac rhythm to shock.
Giannakos also said gauze and cotton were found on the singer's left arm, which he interpreted as a sign that an intravenous catheter had been removed before paramedics arrived. This remains his personal assessment and must be weighed by investigators and forensic authorities alongside the rest of the evidence.
Giannakos used harsh language, describing those involved as quacks, and noted that the doctors did not accompany the singer to hospital. These characterisations are his own and do not constitute a judicial finding.
Deleted files and a recovered photograph
Digital evidence recovered from mobile phones and computers has become central to the investigation. Police spokesperson Konstantia Dimoglidou confirmed that an attempt had been made to delete data, which forensic investigators from the Directorate of Forensic Sciences managed to recover. She declined to disclose its contents but described it as significant for the investigation.
Among the material under examination is reportedly a deleted photograph of Mazonakis that was recovered electronically. Stavros Balaskas, speaking on MEGA, said the image shows the singer connected to two intravenous catheters, which he said indicates the machine was in use at that moment. He also referred to a deleted client list, files and a folder documenting the singer's visits to the clinic.
Balaskas said all the evidence pointed against the doctors, assessing that the core of the police investigation was incriminating for both of them. This is his own public assessment, not a conclusion reached by the courts; evaluating the recovered data, testimony, medical findings and material from the scene remains the responsibility of investigative and judicial authorities.
Unanswered questions
Investigators are trying to reconstruct, minute by minute, what happened between Mazonakis's arrival at the clinic and the call to EKAV. They are examining conflicting accounts of when he arrived, how long the treatment lasted, his condition, whether the defibrillator was used, and what was done when he lost consciousness.
They are also looking into the cleaning of the machine and the room after the incident, the removal of the intravenous catheters, the data that was reportedly deleted, and why the doctors did not accompany the patient to hospital. Authorities are trying to determine whether these were routine procedures or whether they affected the preservation of key evidence.
Charges and what happens next
The two doctors face a charge of fatal exposure through joint action and are expected to testify on Monday. According to reports, Mazonakis's family intends to seek an upgrade of the charge, while the final criminal assessment will depend on the outcome of the preliminary investigation, expert opinions and forensic findings.
The Athens Medical Association has also opened its own disciplinary investigation and is considering administrative sanctions, including the possible suspension of the doctors' licences to practise. The inspection report has been sent to the doctors, who have the right to respond with their own explanations.
The case remains open, and central questions are still unanswered: exactly what happened during the treatment, when Mazonakis's condition began to deteriorate, whether the response was timely and appropriate, and whether his life could have been saved. Answers are expected to come from a full analysis of the digital data, the forensic investigation, and a comparison of witness testimony with the physical evidence.
