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Owner of "Violanta" to Appear Before Investigator on Tuesday

Published February 16, 2026, 12:26
Owner of "Violanta" to Appear Before Investigator on Tuesday

The owner of the Violanta factory will appear before the investigator on Tuesday, after the charge was upgraded to manslaughter with possible intent, along with two other company officials. The investigation revealed that a strong smell of propane had been detected since June, but the warnings of the workers were ignored, while there were also security gaps. The report of the Arson Crime Investigation Department is based on more than 50 testimonies from employees, experts, photographic material and videos. Security gaps were revealed, such as the failure to connect the gas shut-off valve to a detection system and its placement on a branch instead of the main line. In addition, the two underground tanks do not appear on many topographic maps and were last inspected in 2024, while the pipelines should have been inspected every five years, which does not appear to have happened. Workers report that no work was done at the factory despite reports of odor, while management had received offers from technical consultants but did not proceed with the completion of the process due to cost. The prosecution investigation is being extended in depth over time, starting from the initial permits and studies of the engineers, with emphasis on the specifications for the installation of the underground pipelines and propane tanks.