The First Instance Three Member Court of Piraeus has today issued its decision in the criminal trial for the NORMAN ATLANTIC fire.
The indicted persons were G.K., I.V. (both ANEK legal representatives and officials), P.F. (the Greek Supercargo officer), L.C. (the Chief Purser), D.S. (the Greek assistant electrician), P.S. (the Greek bosun), and five (5) lower lashing Greek crewmembers.
The crimes for which they were indicted were:
(a) manslaughter by negligence,
(b) causing of fire that resulted to danger to persons and things, and
(c) disturbance of maritime transport with danger for persons and things.
The Court convicted G.K., I.V., P.F., L.C. and P.S., and imposed the following sentences after evaluating all factors, including 
alleviating instances, merging and conjunction of several sentences that co-exist etc.:
- G.K. and I.V. were condemned to a final total sentence of sixteen (16) years of imprisonment each, for all crimes;
- P.F. was condemned to fourteen (14) years of imprisonment for all crimes;
- L.C. was condemned to six (6) years of imprisonment for the crime of manslaughter for letting the door to the garage unattended; and
- P.S. was condemned to five (5) years and two (2) months of imprisonment for illegal lashing and vehicles’ stowing.
All of the above sentences are however ex lege reduced to five (5) years, which is, after the latest amendment of the Greek Penal Code, the maximum length of sentence that a person may serve for crimes based on negligence.
The five lower lashing crew members were acquitted, on the basis that they were in fact merely executing orders.
The above condemned persons are expected to file an appeal, as a result of which their sentences will be suspended.
