Tension arose during the closing argument by defense attorney Dimitris Ioannidis at the 22nd hearing of the Tempi trial, which is being held at the three-judge Larissa Court of Appeals for Felonies, at the Gaopolis complex.

In his closing argument, Dimitris Ioannidis, defense attorney for Zacharias Stournaras, Stella Koliopoulou, and Ioannis Palaiothodorou, filed a motion to declare the summons invalid. “Why is Ms. Koliopoulou even appearing in court?” he asked, setting forth his separate arguments regarding the defendant, while adding that “even the previous regulation did not stipulate any age limit. Samaras’s hiring is completely unrelated to any negligence on his part in the accident.” According to him, “there is no breach of duty without a moral instigator.”

As for the accused director of the Electrical and Mechanical Systems Maintenance and Electrification Division, Zacharias Stournaras, he denied the charges, once again arguing that the summons was invalid.

It should be recalled that Zacharias Stournaras had been at the center of public attention for two incidents following the train tragedy, sparking reactions.

In the first instance, he was the one who asked journalists to stop questioning the then-Deputy Minister of Transportation, Michalis Papadopoulos, saying the telltale word “enough,” while the second time he declared on camera that he was not afraid to board the train after the accident, without, however, clarifying that he was a top executive at OSE.

A remark by his defense attorney sparked tension among the victims’ relatives, who shouted at the attorney:

Nikos Plakias: Was your client not involved?

Eleni Vasara: Why did he pretend to be a random passenger?

Nikos Plakias: He was the one who said the word “end.”

At that point, the presiding judge interrupted, saying, “The next time anyone speaks out of turn, they will be removed from the courtroom. I apologize in advance.”

Mr. Plakias then turned to Mr. Stournaras and the defendants’ attorneys and shouted, “You have no sense—disgusting! Is this who you came to defend? That idiot, that bum, is here too. Papadopoulos’s henchman.”

After the recess, Mr. Ioannidis reported that Nikos Plakias had “kicked” Zacharias Stournaras.

It should be noted that four of the 36 defendants were present at the hearing. Specifically, Ioannis Palaiothodoros, Pavlos Kouzis, Spyros Pateras, and Zacharias Stournaras.

Source: In.gr