“Everything happened after a holiday. Everything happened after seven o’clock, when the dead were already being collected. At the crucial time, no one was there,” emphasized the judicial expert in the trial for the tragedy in Mati, who today also answered questions from the defense of the former chief of the Fire Department, Sotiris Terzoudis.

Prosecutor Dimitris Liotsios, who is on the witness stand before the Three-member Misdemeanor Court for the 12th hearing, reiterated that at the critical moments no one was found competent to help the citizens who were running in panic to save themselves from the fire. Something, after all, that emerged from the statements of those who stood in front of the judges and described apocalyptic scenes they experienced on the afternoon of July 23, 2018.

Also present today in the courtroom of Mr. Terzoudis, who is considered one of the main defendants for the disastrous results of the fire, his lawyer raised questions about the start of the fire and its intensity at Dau Pentelis, in order to demonstrate whether could be brought under control by air and ground means.

Mr. Liotsios, showing the court a video taken by an eyewitness and recording people watching the fire at 17.40 to 17.45, emphasized to the judges: “You see in the video people watching the fire. It is clear that it is not going to for a fire that cannot be controlled”.

Dialogues with defense counsel

Advocate: Regarding the removal of citizens to Kineta, you have said that ESKE gave the order. But the mayor of Megaraion says that he alone took the initiative to evacuate because the fire progressed so quickly.

Witness: I doubt it. There are documents (for the business done)

Mr. Liotsios, pointing out for the umpteenth time the most important operation for the removal of citizens from Mati for which no decision was ever taken, referred during his examination to the non-existence of the competent authorities at the critical moments:

“Everything happened after a holiday. Everything happened after seven o’clock when the dead were already being collected. At the critical time, no one was there. A superior should have gone to coordinate everything”

Advocate: The presence of the leader in the ESKE does not catalyze the responsibility of the deputy leaders.

Witness: Of course not! The leader is not just for a fire. It cannot go from fire to fire. That’s why he sits in ESKE. To coordinate based on information.

The advocate irritated the advocate when she started asking him about his decision to work in the private sector in 2019. The advocate called what the advocate was asking “fireworks”, while the president wanted to set a limit: “why are we asking these?” he questioned in a loud voice.

The examination of the arsonist will continue on Monday with the questions that the defense attorney of the then deputy chief of the Fire Department, Vassilis Matthaiopoulos, will begin to ask him.