ATHENS: Greek authorities positioned a city mayor who owns {an electrical} firm and two others in pre-trial detention Friday (Aug 7) after charging them with arson over a wildfire that ravaged large areas near Athens final week.
Investigators imagine the blaze began on Jul 31 with a spark from energy cables at a wind farm close to Agios Vasileios, a seaside village on the foot of a mountain 85 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Athens.
Giannis Apostolou, mayor of the small city of Stylida round 140 kilometres northwest of the capital, owns {an electrical} set up firm linked to the wind farm.
Investigators are accusing him, a contractor for his firm and the proprietor of the wind farm itself of arson and damaging public utilities, Greek media reported.
All three might face greater than 10 years in jail if convicted.
Greece’s ANA information company reported Friday that the authorities had determined to droop operations on the wind farm, which is on the border between the areas of Boeotia and Attica.
Fanned by wind gusts of as much as 130 kilometres per hour, the fireplace rapidly unfold from an overhead medium-voltage energy line in direction of the southern slopes of Mount Kithairon and reached a city about 40 kilometres from Athens.
The proprietor of the wind generators is accused of failing to clear the vegetation. A fireplace had already damaged out on the identical energy line on Jun 27, in response to ANA.
