An executive from Hellenic Train names the former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Giannis Xifaras, as the person who gave the order for the “filling in” at Tempi in an internal company report, which is being published by Data Journalists along with 27 unpublished photos from the site.
The report, which details the events from the day of the accident (February 28, 2023) to Sunday, March 5, 2023, includes testimony from the executive, who has also provided a statement to the investigator. It describes how, from the very start, employees from the company and other organizations entered the wreckage and began moving metal sheets.
According to the report, the order from Giannis Xifaras was given on March 3, with the timeline set for completion by the weekend, aiming for the immediate reopening of the railway, which, however, did not resume operations until a month later.
In an ALCO poll, 71% of respondents stated that the government, with its decisions, has not made it easier for the judiciary to address the Tempi case.
It is worth noting that the “filling in” violated a law passed by the government in January 2023, which specified that the responsibility for investigating the site immediately after the accident lay with the National Organization for the Investigation of Aviation and Railway Accidents (EOADASAM), which had not yet been staffed. In this case, it was planned for the pre-existing Accident and Flight Safety Investigation Committee (EDAAP) to take over, but it was never called.
The date coincides with the date mentioned in the testimonies of police officers, which have been published, stating that the meeting took place where the order for the filling in was given to officials from the Hellenic Police and the Fire Department, in the presence of three politicians: the then Regional Governor of Thessaly, Kostas Agorastos, the Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Triantopoulos, and Giannis Xifaras.
However, the Hellenic Train executive only mentions Giannis Xifaras, not the other two politicians, despite Xifaras managing railway issues during both the tenure of Minister Kostas Karamanlis and George Gerapetritis. He was never called to testify before the Investigative Committee. On the other hand, Kostas Agorastos is being prosecuted for dereliction of duty if it is proven that he allowed the filling in, while Christos Triantopoulos has stated that he will resign once a Pre-investigative Committee is established to investigate his potential criminal responsibility in the filling in.
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