One of Kazakhstan’s richest men has denied wrongdoing after organizing a party on a superyacht that allegedly set off fireworks that sparked forest fires.
Daniyar Abulgazin was one of eight Kazakh citizens who boarded the luxury cruise ship last month and were indicted by Greek authorities on charges of conspiracy to commit arson.
When fire destroyed 300 acres of land on the island of Hydra, south of Athens, the businessman chartered a Persephoni yacht.
Greece is grappling with its first heat wave of 2024, with firefighters battling multiple wildfires every day.
Initially, authorities claimed the fireworks were fired directly from the yacht, but now Greek media are reporting that the fireworks may have been fired from the island’s beaches after people from Persephone came ashore in boats.
The case sparked outrage in Greece, fueled by reports that the yacht’s passengers had flown home shortly after the June 21 fire.
Abu Ghazin said in a statement that he had rented Persephone for a week and flew home the next day – which had always been his plan.
He said he had spoken to “representatives of the Greek authorities and they have not made any claims against me or my guests regarding this incident”.
Abu Ghazin said he was “surprised” when he later learned of the charges.
He added that he was “very sad” about the fire but neither he nor his guests did anything that could have caused it.
“We strictly adhere to the fire safety rules set out on board the yacht. Neither I nor my guests asked the yacht’s crew or any other third party to take any action that could lead to a fire,” he said.
He also promised to fully cooperate with the Greek authorities’ investigation. Kazakhstan does not have an extradition agreement with Greece, so it is unlikely they will go there for questioning.
The yacht’s captain and first mate remain in custody, while the 15 other crew members initially arrested have been released on bail with restrictions.
Mr Abugazin is a key figure in the Kazakh oil industry with a personal fortune estimated at $400m (£315m).
