A beekeeper accused of arson in the Veikos Grove fire on June 4 was found not guilty by the Athens Summary Court. The prosecutor also recommended acquittal, while the defendant categorically denied all charges brought against him.
Veikos Grove fire: What the beekeeper claimed
As he explained, he arrived at the scene when the fire had already broken out. “I saw a young man on a motorbike and asked him to call the Fire Department, as my phone had no signal. The flames were spreading in both directions. The fire had already developed. The municipality hadn’t cleared the area of dry grass, while the spot where my beehives were located was completely clean. That’s why they didn’t burn,” he said in his defense at the courthouse.
He also referred to the consequences the case had for him personally, emphasizing that he was publicly shamed and his photo circulated on the internet, resulting in him receiving attacks from other beekeepers.
