On the occasion of the tragic incident at the lounge park in Halkidiki with the 19-year-old victim, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos stressed that the only person responsible for permits and inspections is the municipality.

“I want to tell you, once again, as a parent, as a citizen, and as a politician, the only ones responsible for giving licenses to amusement parks are the municipalities and they are the only ones responsible for making the relevant controls, so you should address them.”

The above answer was given by Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos, in response to a journalist’s question on whether the legal framework for amusement parks should be changed after the accident.

The amusement park in Halkidiki was systematically operating illegally – It had expired licenses

While the investigation by the authorities continues about the circumstances of the tragic accident at the amusement park, and what is happening with the operating license and safety certifications of the business, new information reveals that last season the specific amusement park operated for months without a license.

The Municipality of Kassandra, according to Kathimerini, had issued a license for this business only on August 22, 2023, at the end of last summer. The owner of the amusement park had applied for a temporary operating license from June 1, 2023.

The owner’s side claims the same for this year, that he had filed an early application with the city for a permit, but it was never issued. It should be noted that the activity in question, due to its hazardous nature, falls under the authorization regime and not the notification regime. That is, it is not allowed to operate until the safety certificates and all certifications from the relevant authorities have been checked. But it seems that this was systematically happening in Halkidiki.

In the company’s 2023 file there was an expert opinion from an engineer certifying that the games – including the fatal Crazy Dance- were safe.

The audit report, dated August 4, 2023, was reportedly signed by Target Hellas.