Remote testimony to be allowed in Helios case

THE Nicosia criminal court yesterday said it would admit the remote testimony of two USA-based witnesses in the ongoing Helios trial.

The motion to summon two Boeing experts to testify via teleconference had been filed by the prosecution, resulting in a protracted stalling of the trial.

The defence objected to the motion on the grounds that during the course of the trial the Attorney-general’s office, which is also prosecuting the case, drafted a new law (amendment) precisely geared at allowing remote testimony in Cyprus courts. According to the defence, this represented a conflict of interest and abuse of power by the AG’s office.

In its interim decision, with one dissenting vote, the court yesterday rejected these objections and noted that admitting the testimony by the two Boeing experts would be “in the interest of justice”.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 18. Lead defence attorney George Papaioannou said his team is considering challenging the interim decision through the Supreme Court.

The Helios plane crashed on August 14, 2005, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board. On route from Larnaca to Athens, the plane crashed near Grammatiko, north of Athens.

Five defendants are facing charges of manslaughter and causing the death of 119 people through a reckless act. They are on trial for “employing, and continuing to employ, unfit and inadequate pilots.”

 

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