A 66-page prosecutor’s investigation on the deadly flash floods in the western Attica township of Mandra in November 2017 refers to numerous omissions by the Attica regional government entity, a lack of any registration of illegally built structures and no delineation of the area’s creek beds.
The flash flooding resulted in 25 victims and millions of euros in damages, in the deadliest flood-related incident in recent memory in the east Mediterranean country.
The investigation is replete with details over liability assigned to regional and municipal officials, as well as to the state-run forestry bureaus.
One foremost allegation is that no anti-flooding works was undertaken by the regional government’s services, although similar flooding – without victims – was experienced in 2014-2015.
The investigation, by prosecutor Sotiria Papageorgakopoulou, resulted in multiple misdemeanor charges, including negligible homicide, being filed against nine current office-holders and forestry bureau officials, including Attica Regional Governor and top SYRIZA cadre Rena Dourou. Four west Attica mayors also face charges.
Dourou, an incumbent in the May local government election, is already facing similar accusations and possible legal action in the wake of last July’s deadly Mati wildfire, on the other side of Attica prefecture.
