The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has summoned sixteen individuals to testify as suspects in an investigation into a €3 million compensation payment to TOMI, a company linked to the consortium responsible for the unfinished railway contract 717. The probe focuses on the authorization of the payment, which was approved despite the signaling project’s failure to reach completion.
The suspects, including representatives from ERGOSE and TOMI, are accused of breach of trust, allegedly damaging the financial interests of both the European Union and Greece. According to sources, they played a role in former Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis’s decision to greenlight the compensation in January 2021. ERGOSE employees are said to have issued a supportive recommendation, paving the way for the payout.
In 2023, a parliamentary investigative committee opted not to pursue breach of trust charges against Karamanlis related to this case. The EPPO will now assess the suspects’ testimonies to decide whether criminal prosecution is warranted.
Contract 717 has drawn significant attention since the Tempe railway disaster, with many experts asserting that a fully operational signaling system could have averted the tragedy. The project’s delays have already led to serious charges of fraud and breach of trust against 23 individuals, including past and present executives from the consortium, ERGOSE, and the Ministry of Transport.
The outcome of this investigation could further spotlight accountability for the contract’s mismanagement and its broader implications for public safety.
