Key facts
- Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghan boxer, has appeared in court in Athens.
- He is suspected of killing Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross, whose body was found in a suitcase.
- Ross's body was discovered on July 18 in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district.
- Ahmadzai faces charges of intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons offences.
- Police believe the motive was financial, with over €10,000 withdrawn from Ross's bank accounts.
- Ahmadzai admitted transporting the body but denied committing murder.
Sharif Ahmadzai, a 26-year-old Afghan boxer, appeared in court in Athens in connection with the death of Scottish aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross. Ross's body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district on July 18, days after she was reported missing. Ahmadzai was arrested on suspicion of intentional homicide, robbery, and weapons offences.
Investigators believe the crime was financially motivated, with evidence suggesting over €10,000 was withdrawn from Ross's bank accounts using her cards. CCTV footage reportedly shows Ahmadzai transporting a suitcase consistent with the one containing the body. Ahmadzai's wife, Alaina Hall, provided testimony that he confessed to the killing, though Ahmadzai himself has denied murder, claiming he found Ross already dead and disposed of the body to avoid involvement. He admitted using her phone to send messages and withdrawing money from her accounts.
Ross, originally from Edinburgh, had arrived in Greece in June and was last confirmed to be in contact with friends on July 15. Detectives suspect messages sent from her phone after this date were not written by her. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed they are providing consular support to her family, and Police Scotland is liaising with Greek authorities.