Nine years after the Prestige oil tanker went down off the coast of Galicia, in one of the worst tanker spills in history

Nine years after the Prestige oil tanker went down off the coast of Galicia, in one of the worst tanker spills in history and the largest environmental disaster in Spanish history, Court No. 1 in Corcubión, A Coruña, has concluded its instruction of the case.

The Galicia High Court of Justice announced on Monday that the 190 volumes which make up the case summary are to be sent to the provincial court in A Coruña next week as the next stage before the case can proceed to trial.

From the crew, the accused are the ship’s captain, Apostolos Mangouras, and two other crew members, one of whom was only located some months ago. Mangouras faces a possible 12 years in prison for crimes against natural resources and disregard for the law. Also charged is the former General Director of the Merchant Marine, José Luis López Sors. The ship’s owner and its insurers are charged with civil responsibility.

The French state and eight French municipalities are amongst more than 2,000 parties which are represented in the case. There are also hundreds of civil suits for compensation.

The tanker was carrying 77,000 tons of fuel oil when it suffered hull damage in stormy weather 28 miles off Finisterre on November 13, 2002. It broke in two six days later and went down off the coast of Galicia.