Ex-fire chief testifies over deadly Mati blaze
The former head of the country’s fire service, Vassilis Mattheopoulos, testified before an investigative magistrate in Athens on Wednesday about the events that unfolded during the devastating fire that engulfed the seaside resort of Mati in eastern Attica in July 2018 and killed 102 people.
Mattheopoulos was the latest defendant to be summoned as part of an ongoing judicial probe.
In the coming days, the investigator is expected to receive the testimonies of 20 officials from local government, the Civil Protection agency, the Hellenic Police and the Fire Department.
The charges they face concern arson through negligence, and manslaughter and injuries through negligence.
Relatives of the victims gathered outside the investigative magistrate’s office on Wednesday, demanding justice while also verbally denouncing Mattheopoulos as he entered the courthouse.
