Urgent global hunt for one of Australia’s most wanted men over fatal nightclub stabbing 25 years ago – as deadline looms
- Urgent global hunt for wanted Australian man
- Alleged fugitive wanted for 1999 nightclub stabbing
- James Dalamangas probably lived in Greece
An urgent global hunt for one of Australia’s most wanted men has begun, 25 years after he is believed to have left for Greece following an alleged stabbing murder in a nightclub.
Detectives from the NSW Police State Crime Command and the Australian Federal Police are looking for James Dalamangas, now aged 53 or 54, as the 25-year statute of limitations on prosecuting him in Greece looms.
Mr Dalamangas has not been seen in Australia since shortly after the April 25, 1999, fatal stabbing of Sydney father-of-two George Giannopoulos at the Knossus nightclub, also known as the Pariziana.
Police believe Mr Dalamangas left ‘shortly afterwards’ and went to live in his family’s home country of Greece.
Immediately after he disappeared, his mother Chrysou or Christine Dalamangas said her son was “always a good boy.”
She said he was probably hiding because he was “afraid the police would do something to him… hurt him,” as she claimed they had done after his brother Peter’s death.
James Dalamangas (above), one of Australia’s most wanted men, is the subject of an urgent global hunt as time runs out for him to be investigated over the 1999 nightclub stabbing
Police have released an age photo of James Dalamangas, who is now said to be about 53 years old and is believed to be living in Greece.
Police arrested James Dalamangas after his brother Peter, a 23-year-old telecommunications worker and bodybuilder, was killed in a brawl with security personnel at Star City Casino on January 31, 1998.
James Dalamangas, then 28, was accused of attacking casino security guards the same night his brother died.
The Dalamangas family campaigned for justice after Peter’s death, claiming he was ‘murdered’ in Star City.
But it was after the alleged incident in which Mr Giannopoulos died in the kitchen of the Knossus club that James Dalamangas disappeared.
A warrant was issued for Mr Dalamangas’ arrest, but despite extensive investigations he has never been located, although he is still believed to be currently in Greece.
After attempts in 2003 to extradite Mr Dalamangas from Greece were unsuccessful, Greek authorities agreed to prosecute for his alleged role in the murder.
Police want to question Mr Dalamangas about the alleged 1999 stabbing murder of father-of-two George Giannopoulos (left)
CCTV footage of Peter Dalamangas, then 23, in a brawl with Star City casino staff after which he died
Greece suspended the trial in 2007 when he could not be located Police are calling on anyone with information to come forward:time is of the essence now’.
NSW detectives have released an age photo of Dalamangas and say he is about 182cm tall, has brown hair, brown eyes and a tattoo with a Greek inscription on his right forearm.
He may use the names James, Jim or Tim with the surnames Dimitrious or Kanis.
“We believe that someone in Greece would know where Dalamangas lives or works,” Chief Inspector Grant Taylor of the state crime command said on Tuesday.
“We want people who may be aware of this information to come forward and tell the authorities. If they want, they can do it anonymously.’
Ms. Dalamangas said in 1999 that she had not seen her son since the afternoon before Mr. Giannopoulos’ death.
A colleague of the deceased truck driver described how the alleged victim was attacked at the scene with a “six inch knife” and that he “put napkins around George’s neck… he recovered for a while, but then it was too late.”