Tempi trial: Eight witnesses at Larissa appeals court in two sessions
Eight witnesses are testifying this week at the Three-Member Appeals Court for Felonies in Larissa. The prosecutor is expected to submit motions requesting the summoning of General Secretaries from the Transport Ministry.
Tempi trial: Three witnesses today, five on Tuesday
Eight witnesses and two sessions are scheduled this week before the Three-Member Appeals Court for Felonies in Larissa, which is hearing the case of the railway accident at Tempi. According to Ethnos, three witnesses are expected to testify today and five on Tuesday.
The witness list, based on the latest court update, includes five passengers from the Intercity train and two relatives of victims.
Motions for General Secretaries and documents with the European Commission
Meanwhile, the prosecutor is expected to submit a motion this week regarding requests submitted by Loukas Apostolidis, defence counsel for Dionysis Georgiades, father of the severely injured Gerasimos Georgiades. The motions concern summoning as witnesses the General Secretaries of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry for the period 2016–2023, as well as the submission of documents exchanged between the Greek government and the European Commission regarding railway safety.
At last Monday's hearing, the prosecutor had stated she was ready to submit a motion, however the absence of Mr. Apostolidis and scheduling constraints led to the deferral of the prosecutor's submission to the current sessions.
Pending motion by Aslanidis regarding bones from Koulouri and Pigadia
Also pending is a motion by Pavlos Aslanidis, father of Dimitris Aslanidis, for the identification and examination of bone fragments collected from Koulouri and Pigadia — locations where wreckage from the trains and soil from the site of the collision were transported.
The previous Monday, defence counsel Zoi Konstantopoulou, representing the family of Denis Routsi and other relatives of victims as well as an injured person, filed a new motion. Ms. Konstantopoulou requested that the exhumation procedure be conducted under the "auspices" of the Three-Member Appeals Court for Felonies in Larissa, noting that she would elaborate on this motion in detail at the next court session. Panos Routsi, father of Denis, has already testified at two sessions, whilst the completion of questioning by his counsel is pending.
36 defendants — sentence up to life imprisonment
A total of 36 former and current officials from Greek railway bodies are charged in connection with the deadly accident at Tempi: OSE, ERGOSE, Hellenic Train, RAS and the Transport Ministry. Thirty-three of the 36 face charges of dangerous interference with fixed-track transport means with possible intent — acts from which common danger to foreign property and danger to persons could have resulted, with the result: a) the death of a large number of persons, b) serious bodily injury to multiple persons and c) significant damage to public utility installations. This felony, attributed as committed continuously and jointly, carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment.
Source: Ethnos