ATHENS – While 17 Kazakh oligarchs were allowed to go free and not even questioned, Greek judicial authorities jailed the Captain and First Officer of a superyacht over a blaze that was started by fireworks on the island of Hydra.

Only the 13 crew members have been accused of wrongdoing despite media reports that witnesses saw a rubber dinghy sailing toward the yacht after the fire started and the Captain and First Officer were waiting and a fire extinguisher could be seen.

No names of anybody were given but it was said that the Kazakhs had ties to a corrupt former president and to the state oil company which is the second-biggest provider for Greece, no report whether there was political interference for them.

Witnesses testified that they saw smoke and flames after hearing 15 to 20 loud sounds, similar to fireworks explosions, according to court documents seen by Reuters, the yacht moored about 350 meters (1,149 feet) from shore.

Greek police denied they had helped the Kazakhs escaped although they weren’t even questioned and said they weren’t given any instructions about how to handle the rich clients on the yacht.

The Captain and First Officer denied any wrongdoing but it still hasn’t been said who set off the fireworks nor why the Kazakhs weren’t detained when the yacht – which was impounded – landed on Athens’ coast. The 11 other crew members were released on bail and with restrictions.

The fire happened as dozens of blazes had broken out across the country during a heatwave and brought outrage from officials on the island and on social media where people said that it was the result of rich people playing.

The fire destroyed much of Hydra’s only pine forest and consumed nearly 300.000 square meters (3,229,179 square feet) and took firefighters all night to extinguish it, by which time the yacht had already reached Athens.

“Six airplanes and two teams of firefighters, who had to be absent from dealing with other fires and services, were required to put it out,” said Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias of the extent of the loss.

The yacht operator, Salaminia Yachting Limited, said it “retains absolute confidence in the integrity and sincerity of the crew members,” who deny involvement in the incident, said a statement reported by the state-run Athens-Macedonia News Agency. The vessel, the Persefoni I, rents for 249,000 euros ($266,317)) weekly.

A legal source not named told Reuters that there’s not enough evidence to link the crew to the fire and noted the Captain had alerted authorities about the fire, while other yachts were also in the wider area, seeming to suggest they were being made scapegoats.

Hydra bars private vehicles and is a favorite spot for the rich as well as celebrities like the late singer Leonard Cohen and yachts line the tiny harbor in the port, the island just 90 minutes from the port of Piraeus.

The island’s mayor, Giorgos Koukoudakis, said the municipality would be seeking compensation once the judicial process had run its course, if the accused were found guilty, the British newspaper The Guardian said.

“Depending on the outcome, our town hall will seek compensation,” he said. “What was destroyed was absolutely beautiful pine forest and on the night in question, because of the winds, fireworks were banned. To use them was utterly irresponsible,” he also added.