“Those of us who want justice – and we are most of us – cannot question the exclusive competence and ability of the Greek justice system to carry out this important case,” the Minister of State Akis Skertsos and notes that “those who do so unfortunately do not believe in the rule of law or democracy”.

The Minister of State in his post mentions 12+2 actions of the government, the competent ministry, and the leadership of the Justice Department that, as he points out, aim to accelerate the investigation of the tragic accident of Tempi.

In detail the post of Mr. Skertzos

Is justice delayed in the clarification of the tragic accident of Tempi?
Let’s look at 12+2 points that highlight the breadth and depth of the actions that both the Greek judiciary and the government and parliament that support its work, to speed up the investigation and adjudication of the case:
✅ Filing by the Ministry of Justice and passage by the parliamentary majority of a provision, in July 2023, which allowed the investigator to lift the confidentiality of the communications of those he deemed to be involved in the case beyond the operational agents, which were incorporated into the case file. The provision was voted against by the opposition.
✅ A provision was tabled by the Minister of Justice and passed by the parliamentary majority in February 2024, which removed the lengthy process of judicial councils from this case in order to determine the start of the trial more quickly. The provision was voted down by the opposition.
✅ Preparation of a special venue in Larissa for the trial (the venue did not exist) by the Ministry of Justice.
✅ Characterization of the case by the Justice leadership as “of exceptional importance” (as has happened in similar minor cases in the past for the trial of Golden Dawn, Siemens, 17N, etc.), and assignment of the case to an appellate investigator supported by 6 appellate deputy prosecutors.
✅ Examination of a set of documents, evidence, etc., exceeding 600,000 pages. Of these, 54,000 were found to be material, i.e., relevant to the case.
✅ Issuing 240 investigative orders to investigate issues raised by the parties.
✅ Issuance of 60 investigative orders.
✅ Conducting 2 multi-day inquiries (over 20 days each) with the investigating magistrate present in person.
✅ Taking material from 8 different locations in the accident area and a total of 140 samples which were sent for investigation of their composition.
✅ Written order a year ago from the Supreme Court prosecutor to the investigator to examine every issue raised mainly by the relatives.
✅ Question a year ago by the President of the Supreme Court to the then President of the Court of Appeal whether she needs more investigators with a negative answer.
✅ Examination of 110 witnesses during the investigative process.
✅ Indictment of more than 40 defendants.
Two additional facts to know:
✅ In similar multi-car crashes the average time to complete final technical reports by official experts takes from 6 to 24 months at least (sometimes up to 36 months). Here the process is completed in 24 months.
✅ The adjudication of similar multi-fatal rail and air accidents starts internationally from 4 to 13 years after the accident, as the experience of the 2013 train accident in Spain that started in 2022, the 1998 train accident in Germany that started in 2002, and the 2009 French airbus accident in 2009 that started in 2022 shows.

After all this, can one argue that the Greek government is seeking to delay the trial?
Is it in the interest of the government or the opposition to delay justice?
And can any reasonable, objective, and democratic citizen who wants swift and fair accountability claim that the independent Greek judiciary is delaying or somehow covering up the trial of this important case?
Those of us who want justice – and most of us do – cannot question the exclusive competence and ability of the Greek judiciary to bring this important case to a conclusion.

Those who do so unfortunately believe neither in the rule of law nor in democracy.

See his post