A prosecutor has recommended the conviction of 12 officials, including former regional and municipal leaders, for their role in the 2018 Mati wildfire that killed 104 people and severely injured 57.
The case, now being retried after an appeal overturned the initial ruling, expands accountability to political figures previously acquitted.
Prosecutor Stamatina Perimeni identified negligence by former Attica governor Rena Dourou, ex-Rafina mayor Evangelos Bournous, and former civil protection secretary Ioannis Kapakis.
Also implicated are senior fire and emergency response officials, accused of operational failures that contributed to the disaster.
With the fire’s seventh anniversary approaching in July, the case faces time pressure, as misdemeanor charges could be dismissed if no final ruling is reached by 2026 due to Greece’s eight-year statute of limitations.
For nearly five hours, Perimeni detailed failures in emergency response, including uncoordinated evacuations and delayed alerts.
She highlighted that distress calls from people trapped at sea only reached Greek authorities because Danish tourists activated their home country’s emergency number.
Dourou allegedly failed to mobilize civil protection measures in time, while Bournous falsely reassured the public that the fire was not a threat. Perimeni argued that their inaction, along with that of other officials, worsened the catastrophe.
The prosecutor reaffirmed the guilt of six officials previously convicted, including former fire chief Sotiris Terzoudis, while recommending the acquittal of nine others, including ex-Marathon mayor Ilias Psinakis, due to insufficient evidence of direct responsibility.
Defense and prosecution attorneys will present their closing arguments next week.
A verdict could be issued by late April, determining whether justice will be served for one of Greece’s deadliest wildfires.
