The report on the deadly fire in Mati has caused a stir, according to which the expert of the Fire Brigade, who was appointed to clarify the causes and compile the report, was pressured to the point of blackmail by the then Chief of the Fire Brigade.
The article has provoked strong political reactions. Both Olga Gerovasili and the former head of the Fire Brigade deny it. Stelios Petsas spoke of a "crime of concealment" with "enormous moral, political and criminal dimensions".
"Bury them because we will tear you apart"
"Bury them because we will tear you to pieces" is the headline of the article, according to which the then Chief of the Fire Brigade, Vassilis Mattheopoulos, allegedly called on the bodyguard to hide details and names and attribute the deadly fire to the wind. and arbitrary construction, with him invoking the orders of the political leadership from above.
Mattheopoulos denial
The former head of the Fire Brigade, George Mattheopoulos, categorically denied the allegations, speaking to ERT.
He denies that he had any conversation with the expert and stressed that in no case did he show him how to do his job.
"No meeting, no contact, he did his job, I's my own, as colleagues I know him nothing else, everything that is written is false," he said.
Gerovasili: No more false
SYRIZA MP and former Minister of Civil Protection, Olga Gerovasilis, also denied the report, warning that she reserves all her legal rights.
"The answer to Kathimerini's article on political interventions is absolutely categorical: No more false. The investigations developed in our days without any intervention on our part and with absolute respect for the work and the decisions of Justice ", stressed Mrs. Gerovasili.
"I reserve all my legal rights," he concluded.
Petsas: A crime of concealment with huge dimensions
The article causes "horror" stressed, for his part, the government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, speaking of a "cover-up crime" with "huge moral, political and criminal dimensions" and asking for explanations from Olga Gerovasilis and Vassilis Mattheopoulos.
"A crime of cover-up, with huge moral, political and criminal dimensions, reveals the shocking evidence of court documents for the national tragedy in Mati, which are coming to light today from" Kathimerini "" said Mr. Petsas.
Referring to the article, Mr. Petsas states that according to the data presented:
The then leadership of the Fire Brigade, citing orders and instructions of the then political leadership, seems to have acted in a coordinated manner not to clarify the elements of the tragedy but instead to cover up the crime and to keep SYRIZ executives safe.
"All this, almost two years after the deadly fire in Mati, is causing horror. But also anger at all Greeks, as they complete the image they had gained of the unacceptable way in which the Tsipras government handled the case. Two years after the tragedy and we still have not learned the whole truth. "Now it seems that the blatant attempts to cover up the SYRIZA government, which kept many critical elements in the dark, contributed to this," the government spokesman underlined.
Concluding, Mr. Petsas stated that "practices like the ones complained of do not fit in democratic regimes" and called on Ms. Gerovasili "instead of threatening others, she should give explanations today", adding that the same should be done by " then the leadership of the Fire Brigade ".
The pressures are shocking
The dialogues brought to light by "Kathimerini" cause shock, as the article states that the expert officer of the Fire Brigade, Dimitris Liotsos, who was assigned by justice to clarify any responsibilities of those responsible for the big fire, seems to have been pressured by head of the fire service, Vassilis Mattheopoulos.
The high-ranking official in the leadership of the Fire Brigade during the period of SYRIZA's rule seems to have pressured and threatened the Fire Brigade officer who undertook to investigate the causes of the tragedy with a prosecutor's order.
Bury them, do not get involved, I will transfer orders, policies, "from the ministry" from above, do not show names, you will put them with the governor, make them simple, the wind, the pines, inside the houses, arbitrarily and do not write about responsibilities your superiors. We will tear you… do you want any unfavorable? », Are the words that" burn "the high-ranking executive at that time.
The dialogues-shock
However, the revelations about the pressure exerted on Mr. Liotsos do not stop here.
Specifically, according to Mr. Liotsos, Vassilis Mattheopoulos called him to his office to talk about the investigation and the conclusion that the expert - fireman would come out.
Mr. Liotsos recorded the conversation, so that whoever listens to it does not have the slightest doubt about what was said.
In it, the head of the Fire Brigade is first heard to report that he was asked by the "highest level" to convey to him that he has no right to judge his superiors and that he should simply report on the fire and not who is responsible.
"So I called you to wake you up. I have you on the edge of my heart, and I will support you because you are evolving, you have the qualifications to reach the leadership (…) ", the head of the Fire Brigade tells him initially, according to the article, but then completely changes his attitude, telling him:
"Where do you show skills with the beasts? With 100 dead. Where are you going;".
"Bury them because we will tear you apart"
At this point, the threats begin: "If you write about the responsibilities of your superiors, we will all gather and tear you apart."
In fact, his high-ranking executive attacks because he asks for documents from Douros, the Forest Service or the Fire Brigade and accuses him that he does not have the appropriate knowledge to evaluate them.
"Do you deal with the Forest Service? They will open your ass. Will you deal with Douros? It will open your cock. Once we see who will be accused we will put three lawyers. It's not just things. "
When Mr. Liotsos states that the finding is based on data he has collected, Mr. Mattheopoulos allegedly tells him to hide it and throw all the blame on the fire and the arbitrary.
"Make it simple and let it pass you by: Five things: Winds, fuel, mixing pines with houses, anarchist construction, arbitrary. As a result, the fire went away within an hour. I do not involve you or anything, write five things from your experience. If the information in your case is missing, what will the prosecutor tell you? Nothing. These I had, these I found, these I put. If they do not make you put others (Experts) “.
"Bury the documents - It will be like in 2007"
Then the head of the Fire Brigade allegedly asks if the prosecutor knows what papers Dimitris Liotsos has asked for.
When he explains that most of them have already been notified to the Prosecutor's Office, then Mr. Mattheopoulos tells him to bury what has not been notified!
"Look who has, who does not have and bury them. Calmly, there is no need to panic. (…) What is a prosecutor? Now it's gone tomorrow. And Zagoraios will leave, he will go higher. Another will come, who saw you, who knows you. You will get involved. Do not think, say that SYRIZA loses the elections and New Democracy comes.
There again you will be eaten 1.000% by themselves (…) Sit there, five arades, five words and give it. The prosecutors? Some may take the pie and you will take the p *** a. This is the game in Greece. In 2007 in Pyrgos they ate the money that the people had collected and distributed the compensations to prosecutors and lawyers.
The fire in Kineta will cost 500 million euros, the fire in Mati 1 billion euros. Of these 100 will be shared, 200 will be shared… Watch out, watch out ".
"Better to be in the fire than what you have undertaken"
"As it is now, it is better to be on fire than with this case you have undertaken," he is said to have told him.
In fact, the then leader considers that no one can accuse him of anything, always according to what "Kathimerini" reports that they are heard.
"I did what I could, I was in the center in the presence of the ministers. I did not go to the fire because I was told not to go, I did what I could as a person and as a professional ".
However, the warnings do not stop here.
"This case is not closed. will close in 6-7 years. Every day you will go to court and then to the service. And Terzoudis's lawyer (former head of the Fire Brigade) will pick you up, then Mattheopoulos's lawyer will pick you up and fuck you so much… (…) , completely friendly I told you 50 times, in consultation, to save you.
During the conversation, Mr. Mattheopoulos allegedly repeats that he conveys to Mr. Liotsos orders of the political leadership.
According to Kathimerini, he clarifies that the order for concealment came from the minister.
The minister told me that. Call him and tell him not to write about the responsibilities of superiors and not to write that the mayor, Douros or some service or the Forest Service is responsible ".
Creepy dialogues about rival officers and fires that were deliberately left at their mercy!
Beyond any imagination is what Mr. Mattheopoulos is supposed to say about what Mr. Liotsos can suffer if he does not do what he told him.
"You have 15 years, 20 to get a pension. The paper will come from above without me wanting it for Samos, and in the first fire do not lift anything from it "says Mr. Mattheopoulos to Dimitris Liotsos.
In fact, it is said to cite examples of what practices have been followed in the past!
"This is how games are made. This is how the games with Kapelios (former head of the Fire Brigade) and Vassiliadis (former Deputy Chief of Operations) took place last year. In order to clean up, Kapelios left Vassiliadis without air in Kythira and in Mani without air. There are so many files in the prosecutors of Gythio and Piraeus. That's how the game is played. "
It should be noted that in Kythira in 2017 when the fire burned more than 20.000 acres but also in Mani the same summer where the fire had entered settlements destroying houses.
In both fires there were allegations of mismanagement of the air force.
In Kythira, the Mayor stated that they were late and that they stopped at 18:30, while in Mani the deputy governor complained that the first water drop was made at 19:00, when the fire was already in the settlements.
Mattheopoulos was then the coordinator of the operation. For the record, Vassiliadis was indeed demobilized in the next crises of 2018. His place was taken by Vassilis Mattheopoulos, who after the tragedy in Mati became the head of the Fire Brigade.
Source: Tanea.gr