Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and the management of Elpis Hospital have categorically denied claims that the hospital received a telephone call asking for the recorded time of Giorgos Mazonakis’ death to be changed.
Georgiadis addressed the reports in a post on X, saying he had personally contacted the hospital’s administrator and was assured that no such intervention had taken place.
Ανακοίνωση του Νοσοκομείου «ΕΛΠΙΣ» για τα νέα ψέματα που διακινούνται στο διαδίκτυο περί παρέμβασης για αλλαγή στην ώρα του Πιστοποιητικού θανάτου του Γιώργου Μαζωνάκη https://t.co/CPsSdcx5VA
— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) September 20, 2026
Georgiadis calls for phone records to be examined
The Health Minister said no current or former government official, minister or other individual had contacted anyone at Elpis Hospital to seek a change to the time recorded on Mazonakis’ death certificate.
Georgiadis described the allegation as false and said allowing it to circulate unanswered risked fuelling conspiracy theories.
He called on investigating authorities to examine the telephone records of the hospital administrator and the doctors who received Mazonakis from EKAV and subsequently signed the death certificate.
Georgiadis also urged authorities to publish their findings promptly, arguing that this would prevent speculation and conspiracy theories from gaining ground.
He compared the situation to conspiracy claims surrounding the Tempi rail disaster, saying Greece had already suffered from allegations of cover-ups and calling for an end to what he described as “toxicity and slander”.
Elpis Hospital issues denial
The president and administrator of Elpis Hospital separately denied receiving any telephone call or other intervention concerning the recorded time of death.
They stressed that determining and recording a patient’s time of death is exclusively a medical responsibility, carried out by the appropriate medical personnel in accordance with established procedures and applicable legislation.
In its statement, Elpis Hospital said reports and social media posts alleging that someone had telephoned the hospital seeking to alter the recorded time of a patient’s death “do not correspond to reality and are categorically denied”.
Memorial held in Sitia
Meanwhile, a memorial service for Mazonakis was held on the morning of Sunday, 20 September, at the Church of Saints Constantine and Helen in Pefkoi, Sitia.
Residents who had known the singer, along with friends and acquaintances, gathered to honour his memory and remember the moments they had shared with him.
Following the memorial service, a trisagion was held in the presence of a large crowd outside the house Mazonakis had built in the area and used as a personal retreat.
Tributes began at Sitia harbour
Memorial events for Mazonakis had earlier begun in Sitia, his place of origin, with a gathering at the local harbour.
A large photograph of the singer was displayed and members of the public were invited to write their thoughts and messages in a remembrance book dedicated to him as both a person and an artist.
Mazonakis’ songs were played through speakers during the event, which was attended by people from across Crete who had known or admired the singer.
