As yacht crew faces magistrate over Hydra fire, clients allowed to flee

As 13 crew members accused of starting a devastating wildfire on the Saronic island of Hydra sparked by fireworks shot off the privately chartered yacht they were working on prepared to face a magistrate on Wednesday, the individuals who had hired their services were allowed to leave the country without being questioned.

According to reports, the yacht had been chartered by a group of foreign nationals, including Kazakh oligarchs with ties to the country’s corrupt former president and the state oil company.

However, these individuals were reportedly never questioned after the yacht was escorted to the southern Athens harbor of Vouliagmeni and impounded by the authorities investigating Friday night’s blaze, which razed an important pine forest on the small arid island. 

They were also allowed to leave the country, even though the investigation is still under way.

The 13 members of the crew, however, were placed under arrest and face charges of arson by negligence, a felony that can carry a hefty fine and a prison sentence.

Fire Service arson investigators have good reason to believe that Friday night’s blaze was started by fireworks shot off the yacht, possibly by the clients or on their orders, which was anchored in a bay off the coast of Hydra.

Witnesses in the area have reportedly corroborated that version of events and suggested that the crew may have made some effort to put out the blaze when it first started.