(Laval) The spirits were heated Friday at the trial of Paul Zaidan, as the defense spoke of the power struggle within the family that owns the Chez Cora restaurants. If the family suspected Théoharis Tsouflidis of having kidnapped his brother Nicholas, Théoharis, on the contrary, believed his brother capable of “orchestrating” his own kidnapping, the defense argued.
The lawyer of Paul Zaidan and Nicholas Tsouflidis, president of the famous restaurant chain, had several very animated, even acrimonious exchanges, Friday. “You winked at me. We are not here to laugh! “,” Why are you winking at the jury? “, Notably launched Me Hovsep Dadaghalian to the Crown’s Key Witness.
Judge François Dadour even had to intervene to calm the two men during tense exchanges. “I will ask again that the tension decreases a little,” ordered the judge.
For three days, the defense has been trying to demonstrate that Nicholas Tsouflidis may have invented his kidnapping by members of the “Lebanese mafia” in March 2017. “The kidnapping is not alleged. You say that, ”repeated Nicholas Tsouflidis, visibly irritated.
A former Chez Cora franchisee, Paul Zaidan, is accused of kidnapping and kidnapping the president of the restaurant chain and demanding a ransom of $ 11 million from Cora Tsouflidou, his mother. However, there has been very little talk of Paul Zaidan since the start of the trial, other than to say that Nicholas Tsouflidis saw him a few times at the company’s headquarters.
Nicholas Tsouflidis maintains that three men abducted him from his home on the evening of March 8, 2017 in Mirabel. He would have remained chained for a few hours in the basement of a residence before being released on a road in Laval, unharmed.
The defense also lingered on Friday at the contradictory versions of Nicholas Tsouflidis concerning the circumstances of his release. According to the defense, the plaintiff claimed in an earlier statement that his captors put him in the cabin of their vehicle with a bag over his head, while he was handcuffed.
Now, the witness now says that he was tied up with duct tape (duct tape) and that he never ended up in the passenger compartment of his captors’ vehicle. The defense argues that Nicholas Tsouflidis has “rectified” his version by realizing that it did not make sense that the kidnappers were hooded in the middle of rush hour. “This is your theory, Master. I don’t remember that, ”replied the witness.
Family tensions
The defense also explored the relationship between Nicholas Tsouflidis and his older brother, Theoharis on Friday. A few months before the kidnapping, the latter had returned from a 15-year stay in Greece. He then wanted to join the family business. But Nicholas, the president, refused to give him a post given his inexperience.
Before the kidnapping, each of the children was to receive $ 200,000, but Theoharis would ultimately only have received $ 50,000 from his mother, the defense argues. It is in this context, according to the defense, that the Tsouflidis family would have suspected Theoharis of having kidnapped his own brother. “This is completely false,” repeated the witness.
“You bought back the shares [de votre frère Théoharis] cheaper than their value because he was suspected of kidnapping? “Asked Me Dadaghalian in a barrage of incisive questions. “It is wrong, it is wrong, Master,” pleaded Nicholas Tsouflidis.
“To investigators, Theoharis said you were able to orchestrate something like that?” », Added the defense lawyer
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE
The accused, Paul Zaidan, with his lawyers, Christopher Lerhe-Mediati and Hovsep Dadaghalian
Me Dadaghalian also attacked the verisimilitude of the kidnapping story. “You did not ask [aux ravisseurs] : “How much do you want ?” You are kidnapped, with a gun. You handle the finances and at no point did you say, “Guys, I’m in control, tell me how much you want, will I transfer you?” ”
“That’s not how it happened,” repeated Nicholas Tsouflidis.
“The kidnappers said, ‘We want money.’ I said, “It won’t work, I’m in control of the finances, what do you want?” “We want millions.” That’s what they told me, ”explained the witness, pressed for questions.
Nicholas Tsouflidis firmly defended himself from having “selective memory”. “There are some cases that I remember well, others less. I am a human. Not a robot, ”he said.
Mr. Tsouflidis will return to the stand on Monday for the prosecution’s re-examination.