Greece sacks national police chief after railway accident | Europe

People marched to express their indignation about the incident railway accident in Athens, Greece on March 16, 2023. (Photo: THX/VNA)

On March 18, Greece announced the dismissal National Police Chief days after clashes between security forces and people protest after a railway accident that killed more than 50 people in late February.

The Greek Prime Minister’s office said in a statement that the national police chief Constantinos Skoumas had been sacked less than two months after taking the job, but did not specify the reason for his dismissal.

According to the announcement, the appointment of the new National Police Chief aims to bring about more active and effective implementation of the operational plans of the modern police force for the safety of the people.

The decision was made after the security forces were said to have not properly handled the protests that occurred after the train accident on February 28.

Greece’s transport minister has resigned following the tragedy, the station operator at the time of the crash and three railway officials have been charged with different crimes, which could face criminal charges. sentence imprisonment.

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Rail services were also disrupted following the accident. Acting Transport Minister Georgios Gerapetritis said these services will gradually be restored from March 22.

Mr. Gerapetritis and the former transport ministers of Greece will testify before a committee of the country’s parliament on March 20 to answer questions related to the tragedy.

Mr. Gerapetritis said that after the hearing, he will travel to Brussels (Belgium) to discuss with European Union (EU) officials about technical assistance to help Greece improve the safety of the road system. this water iron.

Railway services will be fully restored by April 16, with the government planning to put in place automatic safety warning systems by the end of September.

Le Anh (VNA/Vietnam+)