A seasonal firefighter accused of deliberately setting fire to a forested area in the Agia Irini area of Kefalonia is being held in a fire department detention center.
As part of the execution of an arrest warrant following an investigation by investigators from the Arson Crime Prevention Authority, a man was arrested who confessed to having caused five more forest fires in the Kefalonia districts in previous years.
On Wednesday at noon, the alleged arsonist was taken to the city court of Kefalonia. The charges brought against him are in the nature of a criminal offense – arson. With the consent of the investigator and the prosecutor, a decision was made to continue keeping him in the fire service until Friday, August 25, when he will apologize again.
Following his arrest, the Panhellenic Union of Contract Firefighters issued a statement stating the following:
“We were saddened to learn of the involvement of a seasonal firefighter in the arson on the island of Kefalonia. We were informed of the involvement in an unacceptable act that does not correspond to the contribution and dedication of the fire department. As expected, we demand an immediate clarification of the circumstances of the case so that not a shadow remains, and if and when the allegations are confirmed, then a demonstrative punishment will follow to the fullest extent in order to avoid the repetition of such unacceptable phenomena – they discredit the institution in which we serve. A single incident cannot and should not negate the highest standard of work of the Greek firefighters, who in most cases go beyond the scope of their duties, putting their lives at risk in order to protect their comrades, the environment, private and public property.”
More Stories
Greek mafia: photographs of eight arrested released
"Bloody" fountain on May 1
They cut it off or bit it off, but… part of the ear is missing