Request for appellate-level magistrate to take charge of Tempi rail crash inquiry

The head of the Larissa Appeals Court Prosecutors' office, Stamatis Daskalopoulos, on Monday officially requested that the Larissa Appeals Justices' Council convene in full to decide on the appointment of an appellate-level examining magistrate to investigate the Tempi rail crash, due to the seriousness of the case.

The investigation is expected to look into possible criminal liability beyond that of the station master on duty at the time of the accident, among other Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) staff, as well as rail inspectors and others responsible for the supervision and regulation of the rail network on a particularly busy day. Following a letter sent by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Supreme Court Prosecutor Isidoros Dogiakos, meanwhile, the Economic Prosecutor’s office is also launching a separate investigation into the delays in implementing projects to improve and modernise railway infrastructure, looking at the contracts and whether the terms and deadlines have been met, as well as the money spent at each stage.

In his letter, the prime minister asked Dogiakos to prioritise cases involving the train accident.