Cyprus Attorney-General Petros Clerides told CNA on Tuesday that he is planning to meet in September with Greece’s Supreme Court (Arios Pagos) Prosecutor Ioannis Tentes to discuss possible judicial problems that will emerge from double judicial proceedings against Helios Airways officials over a 2005 plane crash in Greece that killed all 121 people on board in Cyprus’ worst-ever air disaster.
Five people of Helios, namely Executive Chairman Andreas Drakos as a legal person, Helios Managing Director Demetris Pantazis, Director of Flight Operations George Kikkides and Helios chief pilot Ianco Stoimenov have been referred to a direct trial before the Cyprus Assize Court on September 17. They face charges included among the most serious provided for under the Cypriot criminal code. However, three of the accused, Pantazis, Kikkides and Stoimenov will also be brought before the Greek Court of First Instance with charges of manslaughter by recklessness.
Speaking to CNA, Clerides said, ”we have agreed to meet someday in September to discuss the way forward on the case after the decision of the Court of First Instance to refer four people to trial and in Greece, three of whom will be brought before a court in Cyprus.”
He added that the meeting with his Greek counterpart would take place before the September 17 when the trial in the Cypriot Assize Court is scheduled to begin.
A Helios aircraft, heading to Prague via Athens, crashed on the mountain of Grammatiko, north of the Greek capital, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board in August 2005.
Financial Mirror, August 04, 2009
