PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE IN THESSALONIKI

THE LEVELS OF COMPETENCE IN RELATION TO JUDICIAL FRAME OF DUTIES The supervision of the ex officio investigation of the authorities in the preliminary stage The prosecution after the end of the preliminary investigation The preparation of the indictment The participation in the court hearings The formation of opinion to the judges investigators for the pretrial detention or the imposition of restrictions of personal life in felonies cases The exercise of remedies The materialization of the execution of the sentences

THE SPECIAL EXTRAJUDICIAL ROLE The obligation of extrajudicial hearings of concerned parties in any case to suggest the peaceful arrangement of the dispute that occurred.

THE PROSECUTION DEPARTMENT Prosecutors are servicing with jurisdiction to set the accusation against the defendant and to enter the case in the court. Their supplementary duty to assess the charges of the denouncers against the suspects and to issue the bill of indictment or the report to close the file. In their duties fall also to examine if the decision of the judge must be reviewed by the Appeal Court. In such case the prosecutor must draw a special report with full justification of the reasons that the decision must be reviewed.

THE DEPARTMENT OF EXECUTION OF PENALTIES The prosecutor’s duties at this department are: to examine the order of the decision concerning the deprivation of freedom of the defendant. They focus if the penalty must be executed with sentence in jail or with the payment of the fine if a conversion of the imprisonment to a fine took place by a judgment. In case the penalty is suspended what remains is the payment of the judicial costs and so it must be checked by the Financial Services of the State. to express the opinion to the judges investigators after the hearing of the defendant concerning the developments in his/her freedom in relation with the seriousness of the case.

The special objects There are prosecutors who deal with special legal topics: 2 prosecutors against organized crime, 2 prosecutors against domestic violence, 2 prosecutors against cyber crime, 1 prosecutor against financial crimes such as tax evasion, smuggling tobacco, fraud against the state, 2 prosecutors against corruption crimes, 3 prosecutors for the protection of minors from violence against them and for their protection when there is negligence in the custody of their parents but also for the prosecution against them when the minors are the perpetrators of offences, 2 prosecutors against athletic violence, 1 prosecutor for the safety of food products, 1 prosecutor for supervision of prison, 2 prosecutors for supervision police investigation for betting in sports, 1 prosecutor for supervision of municipal police officers, 1 prosecutor for supervision of coast officers and illegal immigration, 2 prosecutors against criminality in universities areas.

The study of cases The main work of the prosecutor is done at home and is connected with the study of the cases which are created when individuals or organ of the state charge the suspects for certain crimes and a file after the investigation is made. So the prosecutor has to close the case if the charge is ungrounded or to draw a proposal to the council of Judges if the offence against the accused person is a felony or to issue the bill of indictment if the offence is a misdemeanor and adequate evidence is collected against the suspect during the investigation. Every year there are 38.000-40.000 of charges submitted in the office against suspects.

The participation in Courts There are 3 courts each of which is composed of three members, 4 courts each of which is composed of one member dealing with misdemeanors every day and 1 court every Wednesday with members of jury dealing with certain felonies such as murders, children pornography, rapes, abductions. In the hearing of the courts prosecutor is obliged to participate and to express his/her opinion for the legal issues and the facts of the cases.

The number of Prosecutors and the Director of the Office There are 11 prosecutors for first instance cases, 27 deputy prosecutors but the number of the active prosecutors due to personal reasons is 33 prosecutors. The director is elected by his/her colleagues and his/her period of service is for two years.

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