Electrician convicted over Corfu deaths found working at same hotel
The manager and electrician implicated in the deaths of the two children in a Corfu hotel from carbon monoxide poisoning nine years ago have been found working in hotels featured by Thomas Cook.
The tour operator revealed that an ITN investigation found Georgios Chrysikopoulos, the manager of the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel in 2006, had been working as general manager at the Mitsis Laguna Hotel in Crete since April 1 of this year.
In a statement Thomas Cook said that he was ‘dismissed from his post immediately’ and that as a precautionary measure, its group head of risk and audit had conducted a health and safety audit with independent auditors.
Peter Fankhauser, group chief executive of Thomas Cook Group said: "I felt physically sick when I heard that our hotel partner made this appointment without our knowledge. It is unacceptable that the people convicted of the deaths of Robert and Christianne have been exposed to Thomas Cook customers."
Thomas Cook also said that following its own subsequent investigation, Christos Louvros, the electrician found guilty of unlawful killing by the Corfu trial in 2010, was found still working in the same hotel.
It said he was currently employed by the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel, which was being sold through Thomas Cook Netherlands, but added that the operator had requested his removal.
The Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel, which has not been sold by Thomas Cook UK since the deaths of the Shepherd children, has now been withdrawn from sale by Thomas Cook Netherlands.
All 19 Dutch customers currently staying at the hotel have been offered the opportunity to move to another hotel, the statement added.
Peter Fankhauser added: "I am demanding immediate answers from the hotel groups and I will be holding them fully to account. We will not do business with any hotel that exposes our customers to these people.
"Some hoteliers thought it was acceptable – we absolutely disagree. I can confirm that Thomas Cook Group will shortly be appointing a senior independent expert in this field to carry out a full enquiry and to see how we can improve and to ensure this never happens again."
The revelation comes after Sharon Wood, mother of the two children, said she had asked Fankhauser to push for the demolition of Bungalow 112 at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel where Bobby and Christi died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
She has asked for it to be turned into a playground in memory of the youngsters, who were 6 and 7 when they died.
Diane
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