Dead in the Water: Murder and Fraud in the World's Most Secretive Industry

by Matthew Campbell

Gaisman steered the cross-examination to the theft of the insurers’ emails that had exposed Gerry Lallis. The hacked files had mysteriously ended up in Iliopoulos’s hands. In fact, the lawyer who’d found the envelope containing printouts of the messages represented the same businessman who Iliopoulos claimed was refusing to return the WWGT archive. Wasn’t it true, Gaisman suggested, that the main beneficiary of the stolen emails, and the subsequent criminal complaint in Greece, was Iliopoulos himself? At first Iliopoulos was reluctant to engage with the question. “I will not play Mr. Gaisman’s game,” he protested. The barrister tried a more direct approach. “I’m putting it to you,” Gaisman said, staring at the witness, that it was “you who sponsored the illegal acquisition of these emails, Mr. Iliopoulos. Would you like to comment or not?” Iliopoulos answered in a steady voice: “If there is any responsibility for any of the assumptions in the allegations against me, you will be held responsible for those.” At this, Flaux erupted. “You will not use this court to threaten counsel or English lawyers. You will behave yourself!” he thundered. Iliopoulos tried to explain that he was talking about legal consequences, and that he was merely protecting his reputation, but the damage was done. “You have just, Mr. Iliopoulos, exposed your motive very clearly,” the judge said.