The Police Directorate of Chania is being dismantled following an order from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

This development comes after the police’s handling of the case regarding the traffic accident in Souda, where 22-year-old Panagiotis lost his life. It is recalled that the police released the 45-year-old driver, despite the fact that he was found to be under the influence of alcohol, leading to his involvement in another traffic accident shortly thereafter, in which the 22-year-old tragically died.

According to reports, the replacements will be from Athens.

Yesterday, the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, commented on the tragic accident: “There aren’t many excuses, the officers should have done their job properly, made an arrest, and contacted the prosecutor with a reading of 1.3 on the alcohol test. The reason this happened, to avoid creating theories, is clear: the law was not applied.”

“We fought for the last two days to ensure this matter is transferred to justice so it can do its job. There are various perceptions and habits in local communities and services that are unjustifiable. There will be all necessary sanctions for the officers involved through administrative processes and the judiciary,” Mr. Chrysochoidis added.

He also stressed that “sanctions and consequences will be imposed for a possible lack of supervision and control in this case.”

It is noted that the Chania prosecutor ordered a preliminary investigation to determine the responsibility of the officers, who, despite identifying the 45-year-old driver as intoxicated in Souda, did not arrest him in the context of flagrant offenses, claiming there is a standing order from the Chania prosecutor’s office not to follow the flagrant procedure, but rather to refer those caught driving under the influence to regular court procedures after immobilizing the vehicle. However, in this specific case, the drunk 45-year-old was already a repeat offender and had had his license revoked previously for driving under the influence.

What Happened Before the Accident

At 11:30 PM on Friday, the 45-year-old driver was stopped in a traffic control (three police officers at the checkpoint) with a reading of 1.3—well above the legal limit of 0.6. There were three other people in the car (two men and a woman). It was also determined that his driver’s license had been revoked three months earlier in another alcohol test check on the national highway (VOAK).

However, since the police had in mind that the Chania Prosecutor’s Office had given instructions to the Hellenic Police not to follow the flagrant procedure for alcohol tests but instead to make regular charges—something that was later denied by the prosecutor’s office with a subsequent statement—they did not arrest the 45-year-old, even though he was a repeat offender and already without a license.

Afterward, an alcohol test was performed on the others, which was negative. At that point, his girlfriend signed that she would drive, took the car, and they left the scene. It seems that they went to her house, but afterward, around 4 AM, he left with the car and caused the tragic accident, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Panagiotis.