Tempe disaster trial: prosecutor defers on charge upgrade, court rejects annulment request

Prosecutor's Proposals

Prosecutor Angeliki Kourinioti presented her opinions on a series of requests from lawyers supporting the prosecution during the 15th session of the trial into Greece's deadliest railway disaster. The Three-Member Felony Appeals Court of Larissa heard arguments over charge amendments, new witnesses, and evidentiary disputes at the Gaiopolis complex.

Kourinioti deferred her position on the central request to convert charges against two Hellenic Train officials from negligent homicide to homicide with possible intent. She stated that new facts could emerge during the evidence procedure.

“New facts and circumstances may arise after the evidence procedure. It is possible that new conditions will emerge.”

On other motions, the prosecutor was decisive. She recommended rejecting a request for a supplementary investigation as unlawful, and also opposed annulment of the indictment and withdrawal of the case under Article 324 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, calling the annulment argument unfounded.

Charge Upgrade Request

The prosecution lawyers had petitioned for several changes: reclassifying the charge against the former CEO and technical director of Hellenic Train from negligent homicide (a misdemeanour) to homicide with possible intent (a felony); adding charges of exposure and explosion; and extending the felony of disrupting transport safety to include the two Hellenic Train executives, who currently face only misdemeanour charges related to lapses in the GSM-R communication system.

The prosecutor noted that similar requests had been rejected during the main investigation phase by investigating judge Sotiris Bakaimis. She stressed that the court could not act outside the scope of the criminal trial for acts on which the defendants had not been questioned during the investigation.

Witness and Evidence Requests

Lawyers also asked for new witnesses to be called and for the lifting of confidentiality to obtain electronic correspondence between the Ministry of Transport and railway organisations (OSE, ERGOSE, RAS, Hellenic Train) regarding contract 717. Kourinioti deferred on witness and document requests until after the evidentiary proceedings begin. She also deferred on related requests for correspondence between the ministry and OSE bodies, and on records of ongoing trials linked to the disaster.

Attorney Loukas Apostolidis submitted three additional requests, including calling former General Secretaries of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure from 2016–2023 as witnesses, and confiscation of all documents concerning safety.

Court Decisions and Next Steps

The court agreed to alter the examination order of witnesses, but declined to adopt the six thematic groups proposed by prosecution lawyer Antonis Psaropoulos. Six defendants were present: Dimitris Nikolaou, Christos Dionelis, Pavlos Kouzis, Ioannis Paliothodoros, Spyros Pateras and Apostolos Tsakiris.

After the prosecutor’s statements, the court adjourned until Wednesday, July 1, when defence lawyers will respond to the prosecutor’s proposals.

Emotional Moments

Before the prosecutor spoke, lawyer Stella Valani, representing the Tilkeridis family, presented arguments for the charge upgrade and submitted documents. The victim’s father, Christos Tilkeridis, shouted in court.

“You talk about one day, and we have lost our children for 3.5 years.”

A total of 36 individuals from OSE, ERGOSE, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Hellenic Train, and the Regulatory Authority for Railways (RAS) face charges. The main felony, dangerous intervention in railway transport with possible intent leading to mass death, serious injury, and significant damage to public infrastructure, involves 33 defendants.