The prosecutor of the three-justice appeals court in Athens, Stamatina Perimeni, has recommended the conviction of 12 out of 21 defendants in the case concerning the deadly fire in Mati, which claimed 104 lives.
The accused include high-ranking officials from the Fire Department, local government, and civil protection authorities. Nine individuals, including former mayors and emergency service officers, were recommended for acquittal.
In the initial trial regarding the fire, only six defendants were convicted, while the rest were acquitted. However, after an appeal, all defendants—both those found guilty and those previously acquitted—are now facing a retrial. The original sentences ranged from three to five years but were convertible into fines, a decision that outraged victims’ families, who saw it as a move toward impunity for the devastating Mati disaster.
The current appeals trial has been delayed several times.
On Thursday, the prosecutor proposed convictions for the following individuals based on their alleged failures and negligence:
- Sotiris Terzoudis – Former Chief of the Fire Department: Failed to take necessary actions, allowed crucial firefighting resources to be diverted, and neglected coordination with other agencies.
- Vasilis Matthaiopoulos – Former Deputy Chief of Fire Department: Knew the fire’s severity but failed to act decisively, did not ensure proper resource allocation.
- Ioannis Fostieris – Former ESKE Commander: Mishandled fire operations, diverted crucial aerial resources, failed to mobilize additional aircraft.
- Christos Golfinos – Director of Fire Service (199): Failed to inform the Coast Guard about the evacuees heading to the sea, removed vital firefighting vehicles from the affected area.
- Philippos Panteleakos – Director of Fire Department’s Civil Protection Operations Center: Neglected coordination for citizen alerts and emergency response.
- Damianos Papadopoulos – Commander of Nea Makri Fire Department: Did not properly relay critical fire developments.
- Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos – Former Commander of Athens Fire Department: Failed to recommend timely evacuation, leading to loss of valuable response time.
- Charalambos Chionis – Former Commander of Eastern Attica Fire Services: Did not take proactive measures despite recognizing the fire’s potential spread.
- Ioannis Kapakis – Former Secretary General of Civil Protection: Failed to initiate emergency measures and misjudged the fire’s severity.
- Rena Dourou – Former Regional Governor of Attica: Neglected her responsibility to convene emergency coordination and inform the public.
- Evangelos Bournous – Former Mayor of Rafina-Pikermi: Downplayed the fire’s threat, failed to adequately warn and protect citizens.
- Konstantinos Angelopoulos – Resident of Daou Penteli: Responsible for the fire’s origin through negligence.
The prosecution argued that the 12 officials demonstrated grave negligence in handling the fire, resulting in catastrophic loss of life. From failing to mobilize resources effectively to neglecting evacuation measures, their actions—or lack thereof—exacerbated the tragedy.
The prosecutor found no negligence or direct responsibility for:
- Christos Lambris (Aerial Coordinator)
- Christos Drosopoulos (Fire Department Officer)
- Christos Portozoudis (Air Force Commander)
- Stefanos Kolokouris (Former EMAK Commander)
- Charalambos Syrogiannis (Police Aerial Service Deputy Commander)
- Elias Psinakis (Former Mayor of Marathon)
- Vaios Thanasias (Former Deputy Mayor of Marathon)
- Antonis Palpatzis (Former Deputy Mayor of Rafina-Pikermi)
- Dimitrios-Stergios Kapsalis (Former Mayor of Penteli)
The court’s final ruling is pending, and if convicted, the defendants could face significant legal consequences for their roles in one of Greece’s deadliest wildfires.
