Four people arrested in connection with a major fire at the municipal landfill on the Greek island of Paros have been released after prosecutors ruled that the case requires further investigation. The fire began Tuesday afternoon at the municipal landfill before expanding beyond the site. As part of the expedited legal process, authorities also imposed an administrative fine of €8,437.50 on the four suspects.
The four suspects—including Paros Mayor Kostas Bizas, the deputy mayor responsible for sanitation, a contractor for the island’s waste management authority, and a municipal employee—appeared before the Syros Court of First Instance prosecutor on Thursday after being transferred to the Cycladic island’s judicial authorities.
The arrests were carried out by investigators from Greece’s Arson Crimes Directorate as part of the investigation into the wildfire, which authorities believe originated at the Paros landfill before spreading over a large area.
The individuals came under investigation because of their official responsibilities and the fact that the landfill where the fire allegedly began is municipal property.
After reviewing the case, the prosecutor decided to release all four, concluding that further investigation is needed before determining whether criminal charges are warranted.
Mayor Defends Response
Following his release, Mayor Kostas Bizas said the municipality’s overriding priority from the outset had been to contain the fire and protect the island.
“With a sense of responsibility toward my fellow citizens, I have always served my island, both as regional governor and as mayor,” Bizas said in a public statement. “From the very first moment, our primary priority was dealing with the wildfire.”
Bizas said he was on the front line throughout the emergency, coordinating firefighting efforts alongside Greece’s Civil Protection Secretariat, senior officials from the Hellenic Fire Service, rescue teams, volunteers and forest firefighters, while deploying all available municipal resources.
At the same time, he expressed disappointment over the way he was treated during the judicial process.
“I fully respect the legal procedures,” he said. “However, I cannot hide my disappointment at being treated like a common criminal. The people of Paros saw their mayor led before the judicial authorities in handcuffs, only to be told that the case requires further investigation.”
The mayor said legal procedures should be followed in a manner that respects the dignity and public service of local government officials while ensuring that serious issues are addressed on their merits.
He concluded by thanking fellow mayors from the South Aegean region, local elected officials, municipal employees and residents of Paros for their support during the investigation.
Local Government Condemns Arrests
The arrests prompted an immediate reaction from local government officials across the South Aegean region.
The South Aegean Regional Union of Municipalities convened an emergency meeting at the initiative of its president, Rhodes Mayor Alexandros Koliadis, and expressed its full support for the Paros mayor, deputy mayor and municipal services.
In a statement, the union described the case as an unacceptable “criminalization of local government responsibility,” arguing that criminal prosecution of elected officials should not become the default response to longstanding institutional, administrative and funding shortcomings of the central government.
The statement said island municipalities have long been required to manage complex solid waste infrastructure beyond their actual capabilities and available resources. It called on the Greek government to strengthen municipalities through additional infrastructure and funding, saying responsibility should not be shifted exclusively onto elected local officials.
Municipal Workers Hold Protest
Municipal employees on Paros also staged a work stoppage and a solidarity gathering.
Workers said they were protesting both the arrest of their colleague, the garbage truck driver, and what they described as the municipal administration’s practice of outsourcing the island’s waste management to private contractors.
