Order to the head of the Athens Appellate Prosecutor’s Office so that to investigate the possibility of an appeal against the part of the decision on the Eye by which 15 defendants were acquitted yesterday sent today the prosecutor of the Supreme Court G. Adelinis.

In her order to the director of the Appellate prosecution office, Ms. Adelini states:

“We ask that your ex officio exercise of the appeal in respect of those acquitted by the decision of the Three-member Misdemeanor Court of Athens regarding Mati, as well as the recognition of mitigating circumstances to those convicted by the same above decision, the individual penalties that were imposed on them and the general way of imposing the penalties”.

Yesterday the Three-member Court of Misdemeanors of Athens found them guilty six of the total of 21 defendants for the tragedy in Mati, six years after the deadly fire with 104 dead.

The Court imposed a prison sentence of five years and to the five former high-ranking officials of the state apparatus who were convicted for the tragedy in Mati, and three years to Konstantinos Angelopoulos who set the fire.

Specifically, the Court imposed penalties on:

  • Sotiris Terzoudis Chief of Operations of the Fire Department total prison sentence 111 years, i.e. 5 years.
  • Vasilis Matthaiopoulos Deputy Chief of Operations of the Fire Department a total prison sentence of 15 years, i.e. 5 years.
  • Ioannis Fostieri, Commander of the Joint Operations Coordination Center total prison sentence 111 years, i.e. five years.
  • Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Commander of the Athens Fire Service Administration total prison sentence 111 years, i.e. 5 years
  • Charalambo Snow Commander of the Eastern Attica Fire Services, a total prison sentence of 111 years, i.e. 5 years.
  • Konstantinos Angelopoulos, resident who allegedly started the fire sentenced to 3 years in prison.

It was finally imposed on the condemned and a fine of 38,000 euros each.

The condemned left through the side door of the courthouse to avoid the wrath of the victims’ relatives, who were shocked by the decision. The decision was accepted with strong disapproval. It is indicative that one of the relatives of the victims tried to approach the accused while according to police sources he tried to throw a chair at them, resulting in him being brought.

All five were found guilty in each case of manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter. while the elderly Konstantinos Angelopoulos who started the fire was also found guilty.

The court declared guilty him Sotiris Terzoudis then Fire Chief (negligent homicide and negligent personal injury for helicopter diversion) for 102 homicides (casualties) and 32 personal injuries (burns); Vasilis Matthaiopoulos then vice-captain (manslaughter for the death of 9 people at sea because he found him guilty of not giving an order to move the ships to save those who fell into the sea to be saved, Ioannis Fostieris then head of ESKE (homicide by negligence) for 102 deaths and 32 injuries, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos then Commander of the Athens Fire Services (negligent homicide for 102 people, negligent bodily harm for 32 people), Charalambo Chioni then Commander of Eastern Attica Fire Services (manslaughter by negligence for 102 people, physical injury by negligence of 32 people) and Konstantinos Angelopoulos resident from whose yard the fire started.

The mitigating factor of prior cohabitation was recognized by the court in four of the six defendants. Mitigation was recognized in the Sotiris Terzoudis, Ioannis Fostieris, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos and Charalambos Chionis. He did not recognize mitigating factors in the Vasilis Matthaiopoulos and to Konstantinos Angelopoulos.

Who were found innocent?

The Fire Department officials were found not guilty Christos Golfinos, Filippos Panteleakos, Damianos Papadopoulos, Christos Lambris, Christos Drosopoulos, Georgios Portozoudis and Stefanos Kolokouris, the then officer in the Aerial Media of ELAS Charalambos Syrogiannis, the then general secretary of Civil Protection Ioannis Kapakis, the then regional governor of Attica Rena Douro and the then mayors of Marathon Ilias Psinakis and Pentelis Dimitrios-Stergios Kapsalis.

They were found not guiltydespite the prosecutor’s proposal to the contrary Vaios Thanasias then deputy mayor of Marathon, Evangelos Burnous then mayor of Rafina-Pikermiou, Antonis Palpatzis then deputy mayor of Rafina – Pikermiou.