Greek authorities have charged a 26-year-old Afghan man over the death of a British charity worker whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens.

The victim, 38-year-old Elisabeth-Jane Ross from Edinburgh, Scotland, had travelled to Greece in late June to carry out volunteer work supporting refugees and vulnerable communities.

She was reported missing after friends and family became concerned when they received unusual text messages from her phone that investigators now believe may have been sent after her death to delay the discovery of the crime.

The accused, Sharif Ahmadzai, is a professional boxer who arrived in Greece as an unaccompanied Afghan refugee, a minor, in 2016. He later married an American aid worker, and together they established a Christian ministry that provided assistance to refugees in Athens. Ross is believed to have known the couple through their humanitarian work.

Greek prosecutors have charged Ahmadzai with murder, robbery and weapons-related offences. According to investigators, CCTV footage allegedly shows him wheeling a large suitcase through Athens before abandoning it in a derelict building in the Kypseli district, where Ross’s body was discovered by a homeless man on July 18.

Authorities also allege he used the victim’s bank cards to withdraw about €10,000 after her death.

Ahmadzai has admitted disposing of Ross’s body and using her bank cards but denies killing her. He claims he found her already dead in the apartment where she had been staying.

Investigators, however, say forensic evidence and CCTV footage contradict key parts of his account. Initial forensic findings suggest Ross may have died from asphyxiation, although further toxicology tests are still pending.

Investigators say Ahmadzai’s wife played a key role in the investigation after becoming suspicious of his behaviour. She reportedly contacted police after tracking his location to Ross’s apartment on the night she disappeared and later handed officers cash and other items she believed may have been linked to the case.

Greek authorities continue to investigate the motive for the killing, with robbery and a possible confrontation among the lines of inquiry. The case has shocked both Greece and the United Kingdom, where Ross is being remembered for her humanitarian work and commitment to helping refugees.