The trial over Greece’s deadliest rail disaster resumes Monday with defense lawyers arguing that proceedings should be delayed because some defendants are also under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) over alleged financial crimes linked to a railway signaling contract.
The defense says the two cases are closely connected and argues that trying them separately could deny defendants access to evidence gathered by European prosecutors and expose them to conflicting court decisions.
Prosecutors have urged the court to reject the request, saying the EPPO investigation into Contract 717 for safety and signaling systems is at a much earlier stage and should not delay the criminal trial into the 2023 railway crash.
Lawyers representing victims’ families also oppose a postponement but argue that evidence collected by the EPPO should ultimately be incorporated into the rail disaster case.
TEMPE TRAIN CRASH TRIAL TEMPE TRAIN CRASH
