A revealing report by the Sunday edition of newspaper To Vima titled “Tampering at Tempe,” has cast a shadow over the government and the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), suggesting a deliberate attempt to obscure the details of the tragic incident.

The investigation revealed that someone altered the recorded conversations between the Larissa stationmaster and train drivers. This means that the driver referred to as “Vasilis,” who supposedly received clearance, was actually assigned to a local route, contradicting initial claims about the fatal train’s departure.

The Panhellenic Union of Railway Personnel (PEPE) promptly responded, confirming their earlier assertion that edited audio clips were leaked shortly after the tragedy to blame the tragedy solely on human error. They highlighted the unfair treatment of their late colleague, George Koutsoumbas, who was posthumously blamed despite having passed all mandatory medical examinations as per EU directives.

Giorgos Manolis, PEPE’s vice president, critiqued the handling of the audio evidence by OSE. According to Manolis, the proper protocol—having Greek police present during the data extraction—was bypassed, leading to a premature leak of the manipulated recordings. Manolis pointed out that these recordings, originating from OSE, were leaked before reaching official channels, raising questions about the organisation’s internal investigation promised in the aftermath.

Kostas Genidounias, the former president of the union, who was excluded from the Tempe Investigation Committee, echoed the union’s frustrations. Genidounias lamented the committee’s reluctance to consider claims regarding the tampering.

This series of events underscores deep concerns about transparency and accountability within the entities tasked with overseeing Greece’s railway safety, reigniting demands for a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the Tempe tragedy.

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