New data in the investigation of the Tempi tragedy are believed by government sources to be provided by the videos that have come to light and have been submitted to the appellate investigator handling the case file by the Interstar company that manages the OSE camera network. That’s because, based on the image, the platforms following the commercial train’s engine do not appear loaded to carry any box or tank that could have contained the fuel solvents that are estimated to have caused the fireball after the two trains collided.

Of course, the government is officially maintaining a “wait-and-see” stance and avoids commenting on the content of the videos, which remain to be investigated as to their credibility by the Greek Police, to whom the new visual documents will be forwarded (if they have not already been sent) by the investigating officer, Mr. Bakaymi. In this regard, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis stressed (newsbomb.gr) that “if they are genuine, they have a very high value”. Marinakis’ restrained wording, of course, does not hide the fact that in the government the central assessment is that the videos are not falsified.

The cameras and the findings

According to information from protothema.gr and according to the assessment of competent sources, now the question arises about the two findings that are expected, that of the NTUA and that of the EODASAM. Both findings, both that of the NTUA requested by the investigator, and that of EODASAM which is more comprehensive, but also covers the “pyrosphere” in collaboration with the University of Ghent, make analyses and conclusions based on experiments and the use of artificial intelligence. According to reports, although video footage of the commercial train was sought, due to the delay in requesting it, over the course of 15 days the content of the cameras was deleted.

This is the argument of Interstar’s lawyer Vassilis Kapernaros in a clarifying statement issued yesterday afternoon, who stresses that in recent weeks and in light of the intense debate about the freight train cargo, the Interstar company launched its own investigation into the computers and 889 cameras of its operations center, in order to determine whether there is material.“During this investigation, the three files were found which come from cameras, material from which we were never asked by anyone and clearly depict the passage of the commercial train in the direction from Thessaloniki to Athens, just before its collision with the passenger train”, says Mr. Kapernaros.

That being said, competent sources believe that it is extremely difficult to make the findings of the NTF and EODASAM public without evaluating the new visual documents. This first of all affects the NMP, which was said to be submitting its findings to the investigator, perhaps even this week. The EODASAM has announced the release of its finding on 27 February and is now also asking the investigator to receive the video footage delivered by Mr Capernaros in order to evaluate it.

Pressure on PASOK

With the video as a new fact, the government sees an attempt to “correct course” by Nikos Androulakis, who appeared yesterday in an interview with Open to say that he will not impersonate the judge, as Mitsotakis did, and to claim that either there was a cover-up from the beginning – as PASOK believes – or it was initiated along the way. “It is surprising that while until now Mr. Androulakis uncritically adopted other ‘revelations’ by immediately denouncing the government, after yesterday’s videos, the authenticity and certification of which we all expect from the competent bodies, he said that he is waiting for justice,” the South Democratic Party stressed in a statement, in the wake of the PASOK president’s interview.

From the Maximou Mansion, they insist, at the same time, on firing at the opposition parties for instrumentalizing the tragedy. In fact, Kyriakos Velopoulos, who has been at the forefront of the debate on illegal cargo on the freight train, is also in the crosshairs.