TIRANA, Oct 28 – Prosecutors said that the blast in Gerdec at the private ammunition disposal factory last year was caused by a human mistake.
Prosecutors read their charges Wednesday against 28 defendants for the March 15, 2008 blast which killed 26 persons, injured 300 others, damaged or destroyed some 5,000 houses and other buildings causing a total financial cost of some 1.4 billion leks.
The first session of the trial was held Wednesday with all the lawyers present.
The charges were compiled in more than 100 pages.
The Gerdec blast has blamed on the owner and manager of the private disposal company and also many other civilian and military officials of the defense ministry and the army.
The former defense minister, Fatmir Mediu, has been released from the charges due to his renewed immunity as a new lawmaker and also now as the Minister of the Environment. The prosecutors mentioned Mediu only as a citizen.
Prosecutors also read the names of some 390 witnesses who are to be questioned during the trial.
Human mistake caused the Gerdec blast, say prosecutors
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