A fire expert spoke in court yesterday about the pressure and threats he received while drafting an expert opinion on the causes of the deadly fire in Mati. Dimitris Liotsioswho has been testifying in court over the tragedy for several days now, providing valuable evidence of the judicial crisis.

“No threats or warnings were enough to influence my decision,” Mr. Liotsios said with an emotional charge, referring to the threats he received from former fire chief Vassilis Mattaiopoulos, who is among the defendants not to arrest the truth about the responsibility and perpetrators of an unprecedented tragedy.

The testimony of Mr. Liotsios, which will continue next Monday, March 6, provoked yesterday the reaction of Mattaiopoulos’s defense, which submitted an objection that the witness mentions pressure and threats, but it was not accepted. “Of course, my personality was interfered with, but they could not affect my judgment,” testified Dimitris Liotsios, while he detailed the pressure from the former fire chief Mattaiopoulos, highlighting, among other things: “I had an acquaintance with me and Mattaiopoulos, he jokingly said: “Be careful what you do, it’s bad for your career.” I didn’t pay attention. But as soon as I understood what was happening, I went to the prosecutor, Mrs. Gnesulis. I told her what I faced and what obstacles I faced. A re-entry was immediately issued so that I could complete the expert opinion and send questions to all services / organizations. Some responded immediately, such as Rayon. The only problems were with the fire department. Since the departure of Mr. Terzudis, I have not received any documents, not even the aircraft’s logbook. What I am telling you is backed by hard evidence.”

Then the expert referred to a scandalous meeting with Vassilis Mattaiopoulos, where he received threats and pressure.

“I met with Mattaiopoulos, and he jokingly told me: “Be careful what you do, it’s bad for your career,” the fire expert said in court.

– Civil Lawyer: How did you endure what you called pressure and threat, and from whom?

– Witness: Mattaiopoulos called me. He told me: “Let’s meet in person.” The truth is that I was worried. I was worried. True, there were references before, with humor, whether in a good way or not. We were left alone, and he said to me: “What are you asking, look at yourself, one will find you, the other will find you.” He gave me a typical example of the leader and the deputy leader, that the deputy leader, in order to eat the leader, left him without air in Mani and Kitira. I knew there were pathogens, but not to that extent.

– Civil Lawyer: How did you take this example?

– Witness: It impressed me with what an unhealthy environment we lived in, and how I had not realized its magnitude until that moment.

The witness stated that after meeting with Vassilis Mattaiopoulos, he contacted the then head of the Athenian Prosecutor’s Office, Ilias Zagorios, to whom he did not inform about the events, but panicked and did not want to hand over the expert opinion. Mr. Liotsios stressed that the public prosecutor encouraged him and expressed his undivided support, while he referred to the case of a breakdown of his car – it broke down suddenly, in connection with which, according to him, the technicians who examined it attributed damage the possibility of sabotage of a preventive nature.