The Cairo Criminal Court on Saturday adjourned the trial for the defendants in the Ramses Station accident, which killed over 31 citizens and left 17 injured in February 2019.
The court set January 13 to resume the trial and hear the defense plea of the attorneys of the defendants.
The court heard the prosecution case on Saturday, during which the prosecutor described the defendants as those “who do not appreciate responsibility and did not maintain the trust they were assigned.”
The representative of the Public Prosecution added that the decreased “are victims of the absence of an employee from his work, a mind of his rationality, and a conscience of his vigilance… Everyone was ashamed of this horrific accident except the defendants, as one of them offered lean apologies with smiles and sarcasm.”
The prosecution charged the suspects with violating the maneuvering and safety operation rules issued by their employer, alongside forgery for signing in the attendance sheet for absent colleagues.
The Public Prosecutor’s office in June 2019 referred 14 suspects in the case to urgent trial, charging them with manslaughter and gross negligence.
These suspects include the train’s driver, his assistant, another train driver and three other rail employees.
The main defendant in the case pleaded not guilty upon appearing in the court in July, as well as several others.
One suspect pleaded guilty for fraud, as he signed the attendance sheet for another colleague who was absent upon the directives of his line managers.
The prosecution has called for the maximum penalty against the suspects, as they committed crimes that resulted in the death and injury of dozens of commuters.
The accident on February 26, 2019 took place after a fire broke out when a train engine collided with the station’s pavement at the end of the line, causing an explosion.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
