Greek police are investigating the death of popular singer Giorgos Mazonakis, who suffered cardiac arrest during a medical procedure at an Athens clinic, as the country's health minister said the treatment he received was performed illegally.
Detectives from the Athens police department's crime unit, along with officers from Greece's Directorate for Combating Organized Crime — known as the "Greek FBI" — are examining whether the clinic was properly licensed to perform the procedures administered to Mr. Mazonakis, and reconstructing his final hours, including his whereabouts beforehand, who was with him, and his condition at the time.
Investigators are focusing in particular on testimony from the doctor who reportedly inserted an intravenous catheter, seeking to establish when and why it was placed and what medical procedure followed.
Authorities have also moved to secure Mr. Mazonakis' home to search for evidence.
The doctor listed as the clinic's owner has reportedly told investigators that his wife, a gynecologist, handled the singer's treatment and monitoring, though records show she holds no registered specialty.
Both were released after questioning pending further investigation, and have maintained that no illegal action took place.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said in a social media post that the clinic, which he described as a "so-called clinic," was licensed only for basic internal medicine and was not authorized to perform plasmapheresis, the procedure Mr. Mazonakis had gone there for.
Mr. Georgiadis said he asked the Athens Medical Association to launch an immediate inspection, which has begun, and urged patients to be cautious about medical claims they encounter online.
Prosecutors have requested an initial autopsy report and guidance on proper plasmapheresis protocol from a public hospital hematologist. Investigators say the central question remains what happened in Mr. Mazonakis' final hours and whether any actions or omissions contributed to his death.