The Cairo Criminal Court on Tuesday began hearings over the Ramses Station accident, which killed over 31 citizens and left 17 injured back in February.
The Public Prosecutor’s office in June 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 suspect in the case pleaded not guilty, as well as several other suspects.
“I did nothing. All the locomotives are disrupted,” he said.
The third suspect pleaded guilty for fraud, as he signed the attendance sheet for another colleague who was absent upon directives of his line managers.
The court heard requests from defense lawyers for the suspects, and chose to adjourn the trial to September 1 to further study the case.
The prosecution charged the suspects with violating the manual of maneuvering and safety operation rules issued by their employer, alongside forgery and signing in the attendance sheet for absent colleagues.
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 Wednesday, February 26 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
