Plakias erupted when the lawyer for Ioanna Tsiaparikou, former president of the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS), began reading out her CV.
‘We were sending our children to study and they brought them back to us in coffins. Are you reading Tsiaparikou’s CV? If you don’t want to suffer our anger and hatred, tell them to come here,’ he shouted.
The presiding judge ordered his removal, which was carried out under police escort. Plakias continued shouting: ‘We are not here to hear the murderer’s resumé.’ He returned to the courtroom shortly afterwards.
During today’s hearing, defence lawyers submitted objections to the presence of bar associations, the Train Drivers’ Association and the Greek state as civil claimants. The Greek state’s claim is directed against only four defendants. No defendant objected to the participation of victims’ relatives and injured passengers as civil claimants.
The trial was adjourned and will continue on 2 June, when the order of speeches will be clarified, namely whether the prosecutor or the defence lawyers will speak first before the charges are presented.
A total of 36 people are accused in the case. Of these, 33 face felony charges of dangerous interference with transport, 35 face misdemeanour charges, including manslaughter through negligence, and three executives of the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) are charged with breach of duty.
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