The president of the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS) was released under restrictive conditions following her extended testimony yesterday (15 October 2024) to the investigating magistrate probing the Tempe train disaster.

The RAS president faces charges of endangering transportation safety—classified as a felony—and misdemeanour charges, including manslaughter and grievous bodily harm by serial negligence, stemming from the deadly crash at Tempe. Despite these serious accusations, she continues to hold her position, according to Greek public broadcaster ERT.

In her testimony, the RAS president reportedly denied responsibility for railway safety, asserting that this does not fall under her remit. As part of her release conditions, she is required to remain at her registered residence and report to her local police station during the first 10 days of each month.

Further legal action related to the Tempe accident is anticipated, with the prosecutor expected to expand the circle of prosecutions to include additional individuals.

Meanwhile, the investigation continues, with authorities awaiting critical reports. These include an assessment from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) on the explosion and fire that followed the collision and an expert metallurgist’s analysis of a carriage from the commercial train that was transported to Thessaloniki. Additionally, video footage from the fatal journey of the commercial train—retrieved by a specialised UK laboratory and sent to the Greek Directorate of Criminal Investigations—is under examination.

In the coming days, the investigating magistrate is also expected to rule on a request from one of the victim’s fathers, seeking to explore possible criminal responsibility among officials from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations regarding how biological material was collected at the scene of the accident in Koulouri.

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