The captain of a tanker that sank off Spain and caused the country's worst ever environmental disaster has been freed from jail after a shipping insurer paid his 3 million euro bail.
Apostolos Mangouras, 68, had been held behind bars on remand for nearly three months pending trial on charges of causing pollution and disobeying orders from maritime authorities.
No one knows for sure what caused the problems on November 13, when the Prestige began taking on water and leaking part of its cargo of 77,000 tonnes of fuel oil.
Mangouras's supporters claim he is being made a scapegoat for the disaster and say his bail was excessive. He faces up to nine years in prison if convicted.
The London Protection and Indemnity Club which insured the Prestige paid the bail voluntarily, saying the Greek captain was a hero who risked his life in an effort to save the ship.
Mangouras declined to speak to reporters upon leaving the Teixeiro high-security prison in the northwestern region of Galicia last night.
The Spanish news agency Europa Presssaid the conditions of his bail meant he must remain in Spain and report to police daily. His defence lawyer was not available for comment.
About a dozen friends and fellow merchant sailors greeted him upon his release, hoisting welcome banners in Greek.
Spanish officials estimate the damage from the disaster at more than 1.0 billion euros. Vast stretches of coastline were soiled and hundreds of people in fishing related industries put out of work. Spain only this week lifted a ban on shellfish gathering along one stretch of coast.