EMEA News
Nine Convicted, No Jail Time in 2007 Greek Ship Sinking
A Greek court has convicted nine officers and officials in the 2007 sinking of Louis Hellenic Cruises' Sea Diamond, in which two people died, but none of them will serve time in jail, according to online news site the Greek Reporter.
The court gave suspended sentences ranging from six to 12 years, with the strictest sentence imposed on the ship's captain for causing an accident, negligence leading to manslaughter, and marine pollution.
The Sea Diamond ran aground on a volcanic reef in the Aegean Sea off the island of Santorini in April 2007, although the reef was marked with warning lights and indicated on navigation charts, the Associated Press reported at the time.
More than half of the fuel reserves, about 300 metric tonnes (mt) spilled from the ship in the weeks after the spill, and smaller amounts of fuel oil continued to leak from the wreck over the following years, according to a 2010 report.
Lawyer Stelios Papandreopoulos, who represented Santorini authorities said the accident could have led to hundreds of deaths.
The court did not explain what was seen as leniency in the sentencing, while Louis Hellenic Cruises said that it would appeal the decisions to the a higher court.
