The three experts appointed by the prosecution of Naxos to investigate the sinking of the Sea Diamond have completed their testimonies, along with one of the divers who took place in the operation and the president of the Maritime Fund of Santorini.
The trial began on the 26th of March 2013, with the members of the crew, executives of parent company and a ship inspector face charges relating to the ship’ sinking. The experts claimed that after the ship crashed in the reef, due to a mapping error, the sinking was inevitable, despite the efforts of crew and captain.
The experts noted that the ship’s instruments were unable to help avoid the crash; the radar locates targets above the surface of the sea, while the fathometer located in the middle of the ship demonstrates the seabed from on top and not ahead. The civil action attorneys questioned the report of one of the experts and invoked the study of professor Gidarakos.
The president of the Maritime Fund of Santorini, a former admiral, also testified in court and explained that he did not know why the ship took a less safe path. The defense attorney stressed that the path was legal, since the nautical maps did not suggest any problems with keeping a distance from the shore.
The fund claimed to possess the results of the national center of maritime research (ELKETHE), which the Ministry of Shipping uses for determining changes to the ecosystem. The European Commissioner for Environment Janez Potocnik testified in writing, noting that there is no conclusive evidence demonstrating that shipwreck poses any threat to the maritime environment.
