Two chiefly blamed for Samina
The prosecutor in the trial of eight people charged with responsibility for the sinking of the Express Samina ferry six years ago – a disaster that led to 80 deaths – says two of the defendants should serve criminal sentences while the other six should either be found innocent or face misdemeanors. Panayiotis Brakoumatsos concluded his summation by recommending that the ship’s Captain Vassilis Yiannakis and First Mate Anastassios Psychoyios should be sentenced for the disruption of sea transport with possible malice aforethought, leading to the death of some of those on board. This is a criminal charge which would carry a longer jail sentence than negligence, a misdemeanor. Brakoumatsos also argued that the pair were guilty of causing a shipwreck through negligence and serial manslaughter through negligence. The prosecutor argued during the case that the two defendants had been overly confident in their abilities, had not trained their crew properly and did not carry out their duties correctly. He also recommended that both men be found innocent of abandoning the ship. Brakoumatsos said the three other crew members on trial – Second Mate Giorgos Triandafyllos, First Engineer Gerasimos Skiadaressis and Radio Officer Dimitris Tsoumas – should be found guilty of misdemeanors. He also recommended that seaman Panayiotis Kasdaglis be cleared of all charges. The former managing director of passenger ferry firm Minoan Flying Dolphins – since renamed Hellenic Seaways – Nikolaos Vikatos, should be found guilty of misdemeanors, Brakoumatsos argued. Another former representative of the ferry firm, Costas Klironomos, should be found innocent, said the prosecutor.
