Tempi Train Crash: Two Scenarios for Trial Start

Two and a half years after the Tempi train crash that killed 57 people, the investigation is nearing completion. Examining Magistrate Sotiris Bakaimis has charged 43 individuals with negligence and omissions. Seven of them, linked to the "covering up" of evidence, are expected to be tried in a special court along with Minister Christos Triantopoulos.

The main trial involves 36 defendants. The examining magistrate will examine additional witnesses and seize evidence in Koulouria. Judicial circles suggest potential charges against 7 Secretaries-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, who served from 2016 until the day of the accident.

There are two scenarios for the prosecution of the 7 Secretaries-General. The judicial council of the Supreme Court will decide, around the end of August, whether their actions are related to former Minister Kostas Karamanlis. If so, the prosecutions will be initiated by the Supreme Court and they will be tried in a special court along with K. Karamanlis. Otherwise, if their actions are deemed independent, the prosecutions will be initiated by the prosecutor's office of Larissa.

If the 7 Secretaries-General are tried in a special court, the main trial with the 36 defendants could be scheduled before the third anniversary of the tragedy. If prosecuted by the prosecutor's office of Larissa, the trial will not be scheduled before the summer of 2026, with 43 defendants.