Remanded doctor Ioanna Gaka had proposed a blood cleansing procedure to a hypnotherapist before singer Giorgos Mazonakis died at her Kolonaki clinic, according to new testimony.
The details emerged as investigators look into the circumstances surrounding the death of the popular Greek performer at the private medical practice in central Athens. Hypnotherapist Nasos Komianos, who collaborated with Gaka, stated that the physician had previously urged him to undergo plasmapheresis at her facility on Karneadou Street.
Speaking to Greek television network Star, Komianos explained that Gaka recommended the treatment to clear toxins from his bloodstream, but he declined the offer after hearing the financial cost and laughed because he lacked the money. He then continued his life as normal.
Plasmapheresis is a medical procedure in which blood is filtered to remove plasma or toxins before returning the blood cells to the body. Gaka operated the clinic alongside co-defendant Ilias Theodoropoulos in Kolonaki, an affluent neighborhood in Athens known for private practices.
Proposed treatment for Mazonakis
Komianos claimed that members of Mazonakis's inner circle originally approached him to perform hypnotherapy on the singer. Three days before meeting the artist, Komianos contacted Gaka to ask whether she offered a more suitable treatment for the performer, referencing the blood cleansing therapy she had earlier suggested to him.
According to Star, Komianos was the person who actually suggested the plasma cleansing procedure to Mazonakis during their subsequent meeting. The two men met at a well-known establishment in Psychiko, an upscale area in northern Athens, just two days before the singer passed away at the clinic on Karneadou Street.
During their meeting in Psychiko, Komianos asked Mazonakis if he had heard of a plasma and blood cleansing procedure. Mazonakis replied that he was aware of it and noted that British rock singer Mick Jagger had undergone a similar process.
While together in Psychiko, Komianos and Mazonakis placed a phone call to Gaka on speakerphone. Komianos said he wanted to know whether the blood cleansing procedure she performed at her clinic was safe for Mazonakis. Gaka reassured them over the phone that the process was safe and claimed it would contribute to body detoxification and well-being.
Post-mortem discussion on cause of death
Following the death of Mazonakis at the clinic, Komianos spoke with Gaka again on the phone to analyze what might have caused the singer to die. Komianos asked Gaka if diuretic medication could be responsible, noting that two days before his death, Mazonakis told him he was taking diuretics for fluid retention.
Gaka responded that diuretics also lower blood pressure, but added that she did not know what else the singer had taken. The doctor stated that she could not understand what Mazonakis was saying during the conversation.
Nurse testimony and legal changes
The new details follow testimony from a nurse employed at the Kolonaki clinic, who described panic inside the practice. According to the nurse, Gaka informed Theodoropoulos that Mazonakis was not well, causing panic to break out among staff.
The legal case has also seen changes in defense representation. Gaka's previous lawyers resigned from her defense, choosing to continue representing only Theodoropoulos. Her newly appointed lawyer stated that it remains unclear whether forthcoming toxicology results and the lifting of telephone privacy will play a decisive role in the case file. Gaka remains in custody under pretrial detention while the judicial inquiry continues.
