ATHENS – Four police officers charged in the case of a Greek-American gay activist beaten to death in 2018 aren’t guilty, said a prosecutor wrapping up his arguments in the case, but he said two businessmen are.

Sotiris Bougioukos pointed to expert evidence and witness testimonies in the trial of those accused in the killing of  Zak Kostopoulos, 33, and said there was proof of malice by the owner of a jewelry store the victim had entered.

Kostopoulos was in an agitated state when he went into the store, said Kathimerini of the trial arguments by Bougioukos that pointed to the store owner and the owner of a real estate office attacking him.

Their names weren’t given but the prosecutor said the two businessmen were acting out of vengeance and kept kicking and punching Kostopoulos who was crawling out of a broken display window after an initial assult by them.

The store owner said he thought that the victim was trying to rob the store but the prosecutor said he and the other businessman “wanted to hurt him,” and said they should be foud guilty of deadly use of physical force.

Bougioukos added that their actions contributed to Kostopoulos’ death, which a medical examiner said was caused by a heart attack induced by massive trauma from the relentelss beating from them.

But the prosecutor said four police officers who responded to the call and restrained the victim weren’t culpable in taking him into custody forcefully because he was holding a piece of broken glass.