A Greek prosecutor recommended guilty verdicts for multiple officials Tuesday, including a former regional governor, in connection with a 2018 wildfire that killed 104 people.
Prosecutor Stamatina Perimeni argued that former Attica Governor Rena Dourou failed to activate the civil protection mechanism during the blaze that devastated the coastal town of Mati.
"As the regional governor, she had a duty to inform citizens, coordinate relevant agencies, and organize protection measures," Ms. Perimeni said. "She did not act in collaboration with local municipalities. Convening the Civil Protection Coordination Body that evening was too late."
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Former Civil Protection head Ioannis Kapakis was accused of misjudging the fire's severity and failing to mobilize an adequate response.
Prosecutors said he wrongly believed the fire was limited.
Evangelos Bournous, the former mayor of Rafina-Pikermi, was blamed for not issuing timely warnings to residents, focusing on firefighting rather than evacuation.
Senior fire service officials, including former Fire Service Chief Sotiris Terzoudis, were also targeted. Terzoudis was accused of failing to deploy aerial firefighting resources and not calling for military reinforcements.
His deputy, Vasilis Matthaiopoulos, allegedly ignored warnings about the fire spreading toward residential areas.
Other officials facing accusations include Ioannis Fostieris, former head of the National Coordination Center for Emergency Response, and Christos Golfino, director of the fire department’s emergency call center.
They were accused of failing to coordinate evacuation and rescue efforts.
The prosecutor cited a pattern of mismanagement, poor communication, and delays that contributed to the deaths.
The recommendations, if accepted by the court, could result in convictions for those deemed responsible for Greece's deadliest wildfire.