Prosecution intervention for fires – Suspicions of organized criminal activity

The intervention of the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Vassilis Pliotas, was caused by the extensive fires throughout Greece and, at the request of the Chief Prosecutor, an investigation is launched immediately, as there are suspicions of deliberate organized criminal activity.

The Prosecutor’s order in its entirety

The excessive number of fires, of unusual intensity and extent, that have occurred in recent days, resulting in incalculable damage to the natural environment (especially the forest wealth of the country), buildings, facilities, agricultural land and crops and tourist infrastructures, even endangering the lives of a large number of our fellow human beings, as well as the “synchronization” of their manifestation, create reasonable suspicions of deliberate organized criminal activity and not only of a simple, accidental occurrence of negligent incidents.

Following this, we ask, in the context of the ex-officio preliminary investigation according to article 245 par. 2 of the Penal Code concerning Directorate for the Prevention of Arson Crimes of the Police, to gather all the critical data that provide indications for the existence of an organized plan and central planning for a single action of arson-members of a criminal organization, ie for committing the crime of article 187 par. 1 and 2 of the Penal Code: -inclusion and management of a criminal organization that seeks to commit crimes of arson in forests and common crimes of arson (articles 264 par. 1 and 265 par. 1 item b, c of the Penal Code). It goes without saying that the criminal procedural arsenal (removal of telephone secrecy, conduct, investigations, special investigations, etc.) must be activated in its entirety in order to control and utilize any useful relevant information.

For the progress of the preliminary investigation during the formation of the relevant criminal case, the Supervising Prosecutor of Appeals will inform the competent Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Mr. Lambros Sofoulakis.

The Prosecutor of the Supreme Court

Vassilios I. Pliotas