News Archive January February 2009

Deadly Ambush In Sougia
26th February 2009 Haniotika Nea

A deadly ambush took place late yesterday afternoon in East Selino in the municipality of
Sougia , south of Chania. A gunman on the road near the village of Livadi began shooting
indiscriminately at passing cars. A 48 year old man Eftichis Zampiakis was found dead in his
car near Sougia. After apparently being hit by the gunmen, he'd carried on driving before
collapsing. Another victim, who was shot in the face and shoulder, was transferred to Hania
hospital in a serious condition. A third car was hit but the drive escaped injury.
The offender ran off but was identified as a local 23 year old man, who works as a guard at
Chania courthouse. Police apprehended the suspect later in the evening and said he
appeared to be suffering from psychological problems.

Crete blasts
26th February 2009 ekathimerini

Two vans parked outside the premises of a company that services air-conditioning systems in
Hania, Crete, were completely destroyed in an explosion early yesterday. Police said that an
explosive device, possibly containing dynamite, was placed under one of the vehicles. The firm’
s windows were also damaged in the attack, as was a lawyer’s office and a house nearby. A
municipal vehicle also suffered minor damage. Meanwhile in Iraklion, a blast destroyed a car
and damaged two other vehicles. The windows of two homes and a shop were also smashed.
Police did not comment on any possible motives for the attacks.

New Crete airport to open in 2014
25th February 2009 ANA- MPA

A new airport in Kastelli, Heraklion on the large island of Crete, is scheduled to open in 2014,
Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister George Souflias said during a meeting
with local administration officials in Irakleio, Crete on Tuesday.
Tenders will be considered in May and a contractor will undertake the 1.2-million-euro project
by the end of the year. Construction of a new road linking the airport with the north and south
road axes on Crete will be included in related infrastructure projects.
The airport, auxiliary facilities and infrastructure will cover an area of 600 hectares, including a
3.8-km-long runway to accommodate large aircraft and meet the island's needs in air
transportation.
Roughly 1,000 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, while 2,500
people will be employed as airport staff.
Thirty major projects with a total budget of 500 million euros are currently under scheduled for
Crete.

Terror group now targeting journalists
23rd February 2009 ekathimerini

The terrorist group Sect of Revolutionaries on Saturday claimed responsibility for an armed
attack on the premises of private television station Alter last Tuesday and issued a new
proclamation, this time vowing to target journalists.
In the proclamation published in Ta Nea, the group said that journalists were “no longer
untouchable.” An extract of the proclamation reads: “Let the slugs of media journalism be
aware that apart from the mucus they leave behind... soon they will also shed blood.” The
proclamation describes the attack on Alter TV as “an ultimatum to all journalists.”
“This time we came to your door, next time you will find us in your homes,” it said. In its first
proclamation, the group, claiming an attack on a Korydallos police station earlier this month,
said it was avenging the fatal police shooting of a teenager in December. Its new
proclamation describes the first two attacks as “a prelude of what will follow.”
The development comes as police struggle to trace the perpetrators of an attempted attack
against the Citibank headquarters north of Athens last week. The more established
Revolutionary Struggle is believed to have planted the 60 kilos of explosives in a car outside
the bank.

Greek government criticised over prison break
23rd February 2009 Reuters

The helicopter escape of Greece's most notorious prisoner for the second time in three years
has dealt a new blow to the conservative government, still reeling from riots and a ratings
slump.
The government, which has seen its popularity decline amid the world financial crisis, sacked
three justice ministry officials and arrested three guards over the spectacular escape but drew
scorn comments from the media and opposition parties.
The main opposition demanded the justice minister's resignation after Vassilis Palaiokostas,
44, and his Albanian accomplice Alket Rijai staged the getaway.
Palaiokostas was serving a sentence for robbery and kidnapping when he first escaped with
Rijai in 2006 in a helicopter. He was arrested again in August and accused for organising the
kidnap of an industrialist.
He was due in court to face charges over the first escape on Monday. But on Sunday, a
helicopter approached the roof of Greece's maximum security prison, threw down a rope
ladder and whisked the two convicts away as prison guards watched.

Police found the pilot in the helicopter in a northern Athens suburb but there was no trace of
the fugitives. He said he was hijacked by three people who had hired the helicopter.
Media asked how it was possible for two prisoners in isolation to stage such an escape. A
public prosecutor has asked for an investigation into prison employees' bank accounts.

Homeless figures up as crisis bites
20th February 2009 ekathimerini

The impact of the financial crisis has resulted in thousands more people becoming homeless in
Greece, chiefly in Athens, where an estimated 9,000 people have no fixed abode.
According to figures made public by the European Observatory on Homelessness, the number
of homeless people now exceeds 20,000, compared to 17,000 a year ago. A breakdown of the
2007 figures referred to around 1,000 sleeping rough on an almost permanent basis, 2,000
residing at hostels run by the Orthodox Church or nongovernment organizations, another
2,000 living in abandoned houses while some 8,000 are described as asylum-seeking
foreigners.
There are fears that many more homeless are not accounted for in these statistics. “Of course,
not all homeless people, particularly youngsters, are registered as such,” Vassiliki Tzanakou of
the NGO Homeless Support told Kathimerini. “These are the invisible homeless people who
have not quite hit rock bottom but do not have far to go,” she added. According to Tzanakou,
many of these people are on the street because they have fallen into excessive debt or have
had their homes repossessed as they have been unable to keep up with mortgage payments
as the financial crisis bites.
Experts say that although immigrants account for a large proportion of homeless people, an
increasing number of Greeks are joining their ranks. Many of the young and old homeless
people on the streets are believed to have suffered family problems, while others claim not to
have any family at all. Some are believed to have mental problems.

Bomb found outside Citibank in Athens
19th February 2009 Reuters

Greek police are investigating a failed bomb attack at Citibank's (C.N) headquarters in Athens
on Wednesday, hours after gunmen shot at a television station in what appeared to be the
latest outbreak of left-wing violence.

Police carried out a controlled explosion on a car left in the car park of Citibank's offices. The
car contained a home-made explosive device. The timer had failed. Police were alerted by a
security guard who spotted three men breaking into the car park.

The anti-terrorist squad is investigating links to militant groups which have launched a wave of
attacks since the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy in December sparked Greece's worst
riots in decades and rocked the fragile conservative government.

"It is the first time such a device is used in Greece," said a police official who declined to be
named. "It seems a part of it was missing and this may explain why it did not go off
immediately."

Last week, unknown arsonists targeted the offices of Greece's anti-terrorism prosecutor, a
former minister and a Supreme Court magistrate, causing only minor damage.

Alter Private Television Hit
18th February 2009 ERT

Gunmen opened fire at the premises housing Alter private television in Athens on Tuesday
evening. According to flash indications, the four gunmen opened fire at the cars in the parking
lot and hurled an object, probably an improvised explosive device which did not went off. The
hit caused damage only. All political parties blasted the attack.

Wearing helmets, the assailants approach the channel's premises from the rear, when a
technician was exiting the place.
They told him to go away and then hurled an object, resembling to a beer bottle, at the
parking space.
They also opened fire at the cars, causing damage to four of them. They then vanished into
thin air on their motorbikes.
Both the government and the political parties condemned the attack.

Model extradited
18th February 2009 ekathimerini

A 32-year-old male model believed to have been the final intended recipient of 4 kilos of
cocaine smuggled into the country last week arrived in Athens late on Monday after Bulgarian
authorities responded to an extradition request by their Greek counterparts. The well-known
model had been stopped at Sofia International Airport with someone else’s passport. It is
thought that he had intended to flee to Dubai.

Watchdog says bribes in Greece increased in 2008
17th February 2009 Associated Press

A global watchdog says Greece has failed to reduce corruption, with an estimated €750 million
($950 million) paid in bribes in 2008 in both the public and private sectors.
The Greek branch of Transparency International says that was €110 million ($140 million)
higher than in 2007.
Spokesman Costas Bakouris said Tuesday the majority of bribes — 60 percent of the total —
are related to doctor's fees, tax evasion and building permits.
Bakouris urged the government to enforce existing laws and create an anti-corruption task
force answerable to Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.
In 2008, Greece ranked 57 out of 180 countries — with Somalia 180th — in Transparency
International's Corruption Perception Index.

Quake shakes southwest Greece, no casualties
17th February Reuters

An earthquake shook parts of southwestern Greece Tuesday but there were no immediate
reports of casualties or damage, police said.
The quake measured 5.4 on the Richter scale and struck just after 1 a.m. (2300 GMT), said the
Athens Geodynamic Institute. Police said the epicentre was south of the island of Zakynthos in
the Ionian Sea.

E-savvy parents
17th February 2009 ekathimerini

A government initiative aimed at training the parents of primary school-aged children to use
the Internet safely gets under way this week. Parents of more than 330,000 primary school
pupils are entitled to register for the free initiative, which includes home learning courses,
administered by visiting teachers, and e-learning courses conducted over the Internet. More
information about the drive can be found at www.goneis.gr.

December revisited
16th February 2009 ekathimerini

Hundreds of protesters took part in a demonstration in central Athens on Saturday demanding
the release of all those arrested during December’s unrest in the capital. During the protest,
which had a strong leftist presence, organizers said that dozens of people are being kept in
custody unjustly and that it is unjustifiable for 18 suspects to be facing trial based on anti-
terror laws. There was a heavy police presence around Parliament, the scene of heavy clashes
in December. The rally ended peacefully.

Cereal withdrawn
16th February 2009 ekathimerini

The Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) said on Saturday that the breakfast cereal Chocolate
Crunch Muesli, sold by Lidl supermarkets in Greece, and produced by the British firm Mulder
Natural Foods, is being withdrawn from the market after chemical substances from the
packaging were found in the product itself. The food safety watchdog advised consumers
against eating the cereal, as there are no data about whether the substances found in the
cereal pose a health risk.

Greece increases taxes on tobacco and alcohol
12th February 2009 Associated Press

Greece's conservative government said Thursday it would hike taxes on tobacco and alcohol
to compensate for easing taxation on the self-employed.
Economy Minister Yiannis Papathanassiou said the cigarette tax would rise from 75 to 80
percent, and the tax on alcoholic drinks — except for wine — would increase by 20 percent.
Greeks are among the heaviest smokers in the European Union.
The ministry has reversed a decision to abolish a euro10,500 ($13,400) tax-free income limit
for Last week, the Economy Ministry scaled down Greece's 2009 growth forecast to 1.1
percent from 2.7 percent as a result of the global crisis, and said budget deficits would exceed
EU limits for the next two years.
Papathanassiou said the government would cut spending and slash hiring in most of the
public sector apart from health and education in an effort to restrain the deficit, which is
expected to have reached 3.7 percent in 2008 — compared with the budget forecast of 2.5
percent.
self-employed people.

Greek police report series of firebomb attacks
12th February 2009 Associated Press

Suspected anarchists carried out a dozen firebombings Thursday, targeting the homes and
offices of a top anti-terrorism prosecutor, a prominent politician and judge, in attacks that
heightened concern over the police's ability to deal with escalating political violence in Greece.
Authorities said one person suffered minor injuries during the firebomb attacks that occurred
in Athens, all using makeshift bombs made with camping gas canisters.
The attacks did not cause serious damage, police said, but most were carried out in daylight —
in a brazen departure from the arsonists' usual pattern of nighttime strikes. There was no
claim of responsibility for the attacks, identical in type to ones frequently carried out by local
anarchist groups against symbols of state authority, banks and cars. Arrests are rare.
Thursday's attacks were carried out at the home of Dimitris Papangelopoulos, a senior
prosecutor in charge of terrorist offenses and organized crime, and the office of former
Socialist Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, as well as the offices of a communist daily
newspaper.
Also targeted were a prosecutor and lawyer involved in the appeal trial of Greece's deadliest
terrorist group, November 17. The far-left group is blamed for 23 killings and numerous
bombings in Athens between 1975 and 2002. The appeal ended in 2007 with judges
upholding convictions for 13 group members.

1.5kg Heroin Haul in Hania
11th February 2009 Haniotika Nea

In one of the largest cases of hard drugs trafficking in Chania, police yesterday discovered 1.5
kg of heroin and arrested a family of four Albanian nationals, one of whom is a 16 year old
minor.
The 16 year old, who was driving his father's car without a licence, was stopped in a routine
traffic check. Police then discovered 100 grams of heroin in the car. Further investigation at the
family home in Perivolia led to the discovery of another 1,395 grams of heroin. The 16 year old
plus his older brother and parents were arrested.

Talks with MIG over OA
11th February 2009 ANA-MPA

The Greek government and Marfin Investment Group (MIG) on Tuesday officially launched
negotiations over the sale of Olympic Airlines. The first phase of the talks included the state’s
advisors in the sale and MIG’s representatives and mainly cover technical issues related with
MIG’s interest in a procedure to buy the national carrier.

Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis, responsible for the privatization of Olympic Airlines,
recently commented that an invitation to participate in the privatization procedure was open
to any investor. Transport and Communications Minister Euripides Stylianides speaking to
reporters, on Tuesday, expressed his optimism over the outcome of the negotiations.

Marfin Investment Group, in its statement expressing its interest in buying the national carrier
has said that if negotiations were successfully completed it would offer an option to the Greek
state to repurchase Olympic Airlines within three months after the next general elections in
the country and has stressed it was open to cooperate with any other investor interested in
the sale, or even withdraw from the procedure if another serious candidate were to appear.

PM to decide on polls next month
10th February 2009 ekathimerini

With pressure on Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis mounting as top-ranking ministers clash
over the government’s strategy for tackling the impact of the global financial crisis, sources
have told Kathimerini that the premier is awaiting certain anticipated developments next
month before deciding upon his course of action.
According to well-informed sources, Karamanlis’s decision will be influenced by the National
Statistics Service’s forecast on unemployment rates, the decisions by the council of the
European Union’s finance ministers (Ecofin) about whether to put Greece under supervision,
the first indications regarding tourism activity as well as the findings of opinion polls regarding
citizens’ voting intentions.
Several high-ranking ND cadres are reportedly concerned that the trend of mass redundancies
across Europe will spread to Greece. Another worry is the outlook for the tourism industry,
which accounts for about one-fifth of Greece’s gross domestic product. With the impact of the
financial crisis delaying early bookings, experts think it will be at least another month before
any reliable forecasts can be made regarding this year’s tourism activity.
Karamanlis is expected to await developments on all these fronts before deciding on whether
to bite the bullet and go for early elections or to hold out for 2011, when polls are due but by
which time the repercussions of the global crisis could be far worse.

Cremation decree
10th February 2009 ekathimerini

A presidential decree setting out the terms and conditions for the introduction of cremation in
Greece will be published by the end of the month, Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos told
Parliament yesterday. Pavlopoulos said the decree took a year to prepare as it presupposes
the creation of a new institution in Greece and the settlement of certain issues regarding the
protection of the environment. A law paving the way for cremation facilities to be built in
Greece was approved by the Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court, last
September.

Dust cloud
9th February 2009 ekathimerini

A cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert engulfed much of Attica on Saturday, causing problems
for those with breathing difficulties. The dust, which usually arrives in the spring, came early
this year due to unseasonably early southerly winds. Yesterday the dust cloud had moved on
to Crete, the Peloponnese and Epirus.

CAVO SIDERO - Court to hear appeal next month
7th February 2009 ekathimerini

The Council of State, Greece highest administrative court, is due to meet on March 5 to assess
whether the construction of a large tourist resort in Cavo Sidero, Crete, should go ahead or
be canceled. Protesters claim that the project – which would comprise five holiday villages, a
string of luxury hotels and three golf courses – would damage the environment and be a
heavy drain on water resources. British property developer Minoan Group (formerly Loyalward
Limited) is planning to invest 1.2 billion euros in the project, which has been approved by the
government.

‘Disturbed’ officer remanded
7th February 2009 ekathimerini

A 37-year-old policeman who on Wednesday shot a private security guard outside the home
of the US ambassador in Athens, was yesterday transferred to the psychiatric unit of
Korydallos jail after appearing before an investigating magistrate on charges of attempted
murder.
Meanwhile police revealed that US Embassy officials had made three requests to the head of
their local police station to replace the 37-year-old. Citing concern at the policeman’s “unusual
behavior,” the officials had asked the chief of Ambelokipi police station to provide a
replacement to guard the residence of Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, police sources said.
During his 30-minute deposition before a magistrate yesterday, the 37-year-old allegedly
claimed to have fired his gun in the air after being startled at the sight of the armed security
guard walking toward him.
The lawyer representing the policeman said that his client’s mental health had deteriorated in
the past 24 hours.
The policeman’s mother, who also testified yesterday, confirmed that her son had seen a
psychiatrist a few days before the shooting and had been taking medication, but she did not
clarify what kind. In her deposition, she allegedly said that her son had been suffering from
anxiety since 1996 when the now disbanded November 17 carried out a rocket attack against
the US Embassy. “He was scared that he would be targeted,” she was cited as saying. “He
would say, ‘Mother, they’re going to kill me,’” she added.
The mother expressed her regret to the relatives of the 29-year-old security guard shot in
Wednesday’s attack who yesterday underwent an operation for the removal of a bullet from
his jaw.

Farmers return to Crete ‘vindicated’
4th February 2009 ekathimerini

Hundreds of Cretan farmers were on their way home last night after a second day of clashes
with riot police at the port of Piraeus that included two top-ranking PASOK officials getting
sprayed with tear gas.
Yesterday’s unrest erupted when police blockading the port tried to restrain a new boatload
of about 100 farmers who had arrived to support their fellow Cretans. Riot police fired tear
gas to keep back protesters wielding wooden bats, shepherd’s crooks and other improvised
weapons.
Opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou, who arrived at the port in an unscheduled visit
to talk with protesting farmers, got a bit of a surprise himself when he was engulfed in tear
gas. Blinking through the smog, he told farmers that the Socialists supported the farmers.
“The government doesn’t want to talk or listen to your demands,” he said. Earlier in the
afternoon Piraeus Prefect Yiannis Michas, who is affiliated with PASOK, threatened to take
legal action after allegedly receiving a faceful of tear gas himself. “They sprayed me in the face
at a distance of 15 centimeters while I was trying to tell them that the PASOK leader was on
his way,” Michas said.
Police tactics were the subject of a tense exchange in Parliament, with PASOK calling for the
resignation of three top Interior Ministry officials and the government condemning the
opposition party for exploiting the unrest for its own political gain.
As for the farmers, they said they were returning to Crete with their “heads held high,”
despite failing to receive assurances from the government regarding their subsidies. But
unionists claimed to have “won over the public.” On Crete, thousands of islanders were said
to be preparing a hero’s welcome for the returning farmers.

Greek police shoot security guard outside U.S. embassy in Athens
4th February 2009 The Canadian Press

A Greek police officer shot and seriously wounded a private security guard outside the U.S.
Embassy in central Athens today.
The Brinks Security employee, hired by the embassy, was shot outside the U.S. ambassador's
residence next to the embassy building in central Athens. The 31-year-old Greek national
suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and is in serious condition at a nearby hospital.
Police and U.S. embassy officials have ruled out terrorism but Greek authorities say the
shooting did not appear to have been accidental, as initially believed.
Police say the 38-year-old police officer who pulled the trigger has no prior history of
misconduct and has been taken into custody for questioning.
U.S. embassy officials say they are working with Greek authorities to investigate the shooting.
The U.S. embassy is one of the most heavily guarded sites in the Greek capital.
The building was targeted in a terrorist attack in 2007. A far-left domestic militant group
claimed responsibility for firing a rocket-propelled grenade.

Police come under fire again - Revolutionary Struggle suspected in armed attack on
Korydallos station, the third of its type since December.
4th February 2009 ekathimerini

An armed attack at dawn yesterday on a police station in the Athens suburb of Korydallos in
which two officers narrowly escaped being shot, was likely the work of the Revolutionary
Struggle terrorist group, which has already targeted law enforcement twice in the last 40
days, sources said.
According to police, three armed men wearing hoods opened fire on the police station at 4.15
a.m. Two officers were guarding the building at the time. One sought cover inside the station,
while the other dived into a guard post.
The assailants also threw a grenade, which did not explode, before they left the scene.
The attack is reminiscent of a January 5 raid on three riot police officers who were guarding
the Culture Ministry in Exarchia, which left one of them seriously injured.
Revolutionary Struggle has claimed that attack as well as a strike against a police bus on
December 23 in which there were no injuries.
However, police said that the weapons used in yesterday’s attack had not been used in any
crime before. At least 19 shots were fired, three of which hit the guard post, but the two guns
used were not those that have been connected to previous Revolutionary Struggle strikes.
In its proclamation following that strike, Revolutionary Struggle made it clear that it intended
to continue targeting the police as a result of the killing of teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos by an
officer on December 6.
Sources said that police are treating this latest attack as the work of Revolutionary Struggle
but are not ruling out the possibility that it was the work of a splinter or copycat group

Greek riot police quell farmer protest
February 2 2009 The Financial Times

Riot police took over the port of Piraeus on Monday to stop about 1,200 olive oil producers
from the island of Crete from driving tractors into central Athens, as protests by farmers
moved into a third week.
A Socialist opposition member of parliament was slightly injured when police fired tear gas at a
group of farmers trying to break through a dockside barrier.
“We came to Athens to pursue our rights but the police blocked us from holding a peaceful
demonstration, so we will stay here,” said a farmers’ representative.
The arrival of the Cretans with more than 200 tractors transported by coastal ferries,
threatened a renewal of unrest after most protests ran out of steam at the weekend.
Cretan producers are demanding a larger share of a proposed €500m government support
package to compensate growers for crop damage and falling commodity prices.
Sotiris Hatzigakis, Greece’s farm development minister, on Monday presented the package in
Brussels for approval by the European Commission.
In Crete – the largest and wealthiest Greek island that exports olive oil worldwide –
protesters on Monday blocked the main west-east highway and surrounded the regional
governor’s office in the capital Heraklion.
Producer prices for high-quality olive oil have fallen to about €1.80 a kilo from €3 last year,
according to farmers.
The stand-off in Piraeus paralysed coastal shipping operations to Crete and several Aegean
islands. The farmers said they would remain in the port after reaching a deal with ferry
operators to stay aboard ships overnight.

EU still waiting for details of Greek farm aid
31st January2009 Reuters

The European Commission said on Friday it needed more details from Greece on a planned
500 million euros ($654 million) of aid to farmers before making any decision about whether it
complied with EU rules.
It can declare the payments illegal and ultimately insist they are paid back.
The Greek government offered the aid on products such as cotton and wheat to farmers on
Thursday after they blockaded roads in protest at slumping commodity prices.
The farmers want higher subsidies and tax rebates to compensate for the slump.
"There is not enough information now to determine what it is. We are waiting for Greece to
provide that information before taking a decision," Commission spokesman Michael Mann said.
"There have been contacts on an informal level between staff in (the Commission) and officials
in the Greek agriculture ministry," he added.
The blockades, which have caused travel chaos across Greece and angered Bulgaria, have
shaken a conservative government struggling to cope with the economic slump and recover
from the worst riots in decades last month.
Greek Agriculture Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis defended the aid package on Thursday, saying it
does not break EU state aid rules.
The minister is scheduled to meet EU Commission officials on Wednesday next week.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; writing by Mark John)

Farmers are standing their ground in Crete and said they would not budge until the
government had made more specific proposals relating to their products.

Drug death fuels university immunity debate
31st January 2009 ekathimerini

A 26-year-old woman was found dead of a drugs overdose in the grounds of one of
Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University faculties on Wednesday night, fueling debate about the
exploitation of university immunity for illegal and dangerous activities.
The woman’s body was found by guards on the site of the university’s theological faculty
alongside that of a male companion who was unconscious, also due to drugs. It was unclear
whether either were students. The man recovered. The woman is believed to have died after
taking a cocktail of drugs but a coroner had yet to issue a verdict by late yesterday.
According to the university’s rector, Anastassios Manthos, there is a problem with youngsters
taking drugs on faculty grounds, though he said fatal overdoses were rare. He said the
university had seen a surge in crime which he described as a “byproduct of the social unrest in
December.” The dean of the university’s technical faculty was more outspoken, describing the
university grounds as “in a state of total lawlessness.” “Things cannot go on like this – the
university cannot be a place where the law ceases to apply,” said Nikos Mousiopoulos. He
added that the university senate had discussed the need for order to be imposed in the
institution’s faculties.

Child pornography
31st January 2009 ekathimerini

A doctor who holds a senior position in a welfare organization for disabled children as well as
a businessman have been remanded in custody after being charged with involvement in a
child pornography racket that had been operating over the Internet. It was unclear whether
the racket was the same as the ring busted earlier this week in which an Orthodox priest and
two doctors as well as several businessmen have been implicated.

Pirates kill Greek ship captain off Cameroon
27th January ekathimerini

The captain of a Greek-owned, Cameroon-flagged trawler was killed on Saturday while trying
to repel an attack by pirates off the coast of Cameroon, the Merchant Marine Ministry said.
According to the ministry, Theodoros Mastaloudis was shot at by gunmen aboard one of two
vessels that closed in on his ship and another Greek trawler off Douala, Cameroon's largest
city. The remaining crew members of the two ships, including another Greek, were safe.
Several other Greek vessels have recently come under attack from pirates, particularly off the
coast of Somalia. Early this month, seamen aboard a Greek-flagged crude oil tanker fought off
pirates' attempts to board the ship off Somalia with the help of a European Union force. In
October, a Greek tanker carrying chemicals was seized by Somali pirates and released the
next month after a ransom was paid.

Unrest returns to Athens
26th January 2009 ekathimerini

Unrest returned to the streets of the capital on Saturday when dozens of self-styled
anarchists clashed with riot police during an anti-government protest.
According to police, about 150 hooded youths broke away from the main body of the march,
comprising about 1,000 people, and started throwing rocks and other objects at police. Riot
officers responded by firing tear gas and detained three people for questioning. There were
no reports of injuries.
The rioters, demanding the release of those arrested during last month’s ferocious riots,
torched a newspaper kiosk and a bus station and smashed several storefronts. They then
proceeded to Exarchia, the district where a teenager was killed by a a police bullet last month,
where they set fire to several trash cans and a car and smashed up sidewalks.
A similar march took place in the western city of Patras, causing damage to a newspaper office
and other buildings.
In Thessaloniki late on Saturday, self-styled anarchists firebombed a riot police van parked
outside state television offices. There were no injuries or arrests.

Greek farmers block more roads in growing protest
January 26, 2009 Associated Press

Greek farmers blocked another major highway Monday as they stepped up their eight-day
campaign against the government that has crippled road transport across most of the country
and shut down border crossings with Bulgaria, Turkey and Macedonia.
Around 400 farmers closed a busy highway south of Athens, severing the main road link to the
southern Peloponnese peninsula, while thousands of farmers with tractors continued to block
dozens of highways in central and northern Greece.
Farmers are demanding government action to help their industry, which has been hit by lower
prices and winter storms. The Agriculture Ministry has promised a €500 million ($640 million)
support package, but unions say that does not address key demands such as minimum sale
prices for various crops.
The action has forced two border crossings with Bulgaria to be closed for days, leaving
hundreds of trucks stranded on either side of the border. Bulgarian transport companies say
they have lost €10 million ($13 million) so far as a result of the protests.
Bulgaria has said it will ask the European Union for help to deal with the situation.
On Monday, Greek farmers closed a third crossing with Bulgaria, as well as two with
Macedonia and one with Turkey.
Agriculture Minister Sotiris Hadzigakis will meet with farmers' unions Monday but said the
government will not make further concessions.
"The state does not haggle," he said after a meeting with union representatives Sunday.
"(The farmers') immediate demands have been met."

Ferries Moored
23rd January 2009 ekathimerini

Passenger ferries remained moored at the ports of Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrion yesterday as
winds reach gale-force intensity in many parts. Weather conditions are expected to
deteriorate further over the next few days, with winds set to reach up to 10 Beaufort in the
eastern Aegean and thunderstorms likely in western Greece and much of the Aegean.

Farmers reject aid offer, push on with action
23rd January 2009 ekathimerini

Protesting farmers yesterday rejected a 500-million-euro aid package offered to them by
Agricultural Development Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis, saying that it did not offer a clear solution
to their problems, and pledged to increase the number of blockades at key road junctions
across the country unless a better offer is made.
Farmers, who have been protesting falling commodity prices, last night kept their tractors
parked at key road junctions for a fourth day and threatened to also block access roads to
major highways unless authorities make a better offer.
Hatzigakis said yesterday evening that the package was “the maximum” the government
could offer. His proposal was submitted to unionists at lunchtime following several hours of
negotiations with them in talks that also involved Economy and Finance Minister Yiannis
Papathanassiou and Environment and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias.
The farmers’ demands include higher subsidies and pension payments as well as lower fuel
taxes. They complain that the plunging prices of cotton, corn and wheat, set by the European
Union, mean they are struggling to make a living.
Reacting to Hatzigakis’s offer yesterday, one unionist said that an overall figure was
inadequate, noting that farmers wanted to know how much their subsidies would increase per
hectare.
Protests in Crete were more low-key than earlier this week when Iraklion airport was
occupied by some 1,500 local farmers. The action, which led to countless flights being
canceled, could be repeated if farmers’ demands are not met, some unionists warned
yesterday.

Greek farmers maintain highway blockades
22nd January 2009 AP

Greek farmers maintained highway blockades in several parts of the country after the
agriculture minister on Wednesday failed to meet their demands for stronger government
support.
Earlier, farmers ended a blockade at the airport of Iraklio, on the island of Crete. The airport,
Greece's third-busiest, closed Tuesday when farmers drove tractors inside the flight area and
set tires on fire.
A meeting late Wednesday between farming association leaders and Agriculture Minister
Sotiris Hatzigakis failed to produce a breakthrough.
"These problems cannot be solved immediately," Hatzigakis said after the talks.
Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said the government was "studying" farmers'
demands, but was constrained by the effects of the global economic crisis.
The farmers are demanding a list of measures including higher subsidy and pension payments
and lower fuel taxes.
"We reached a point where many farmers can no longer make a living," protest organizer
Thanassis Kokkinoulis said in the central city of Larissa. "The government must provide these
people with assistance."
Elsewhere, farmers used thousands of tractors to stage sporadic blockades along highways
including the main one linking Athens with Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki. They
also maintained closures at two border crossings with Bulgaria.

Tycoon freed after record ransom paid
21st January 2009 ekathimerini

Elderly shipping magnate Pericles Panagopoulos, abducted by gunmen eight days ago, was
released unharmed early yesterday by his kidnappers, who are believed to have pocketed a
ransom of 30 million euros.
Police found the 74-year-old in a remote spot of Aspropyrgos, west of Athens, after the
kidnappers telephoned his wife to reveal his location. Panagopoulos had been transported to
Aspropyrgos in the trunk of his kidnappers’ car, police said.
Police did not confirm reports that a 30-million-euro ransom had been paid to the kidnappers
but said the sum is the largest to have been paid in a kidnapping case in the country. Sources
told Kathimerini that the ransom was delivered to the kidnappers in eight suitcases weighing
a total of 300 kilos.
Police, who believe the kidnappers are professionals, have said they will intensify their
investigation now that Panagopoulos is safe. Officers are scrutinizing cell phone records to
check for any calls made in the area of Panagopoulos’s home in the coastal suburb of Kavouri
before or after his kidnapping.

Immigration red tape snipped
20th January 2009 ekathimerini
A series of tweaks to Greece’s immigration laws that were approved yesterday by Interior
Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos should lead to people applying for residence permits to live in
the country needing substantially less paperwork.
In a bid to cut down on the red tape involved in the immigration process, the amendments to
an existing law mean that non EU citizens applying for residence rights for the first time or
looking to renew their permit will not need to submit any health certificates for children born in
Greece nor will they have to provide photocopies of every page of their passport or a
photocopy of their previous residence permit if that has been adhered in their passport.
For any applicant who has full-time employment, a signed statement from his or her employer
rather than a copy of their contract will now be necessary.
The amendments will also lead to foreign students obtaining a residence permit for the
duration of their studies rather than having to renew it each year. They will also be able to
obtain residence rights for any children who are born in Greece.
The children of migrants in Greece will also no longer have to produce a birth certificate from
their country of origin when they reach 18 years of age nor have to apply for their own
residence permit.

Tycoon’s fate still in balance
19th January 2009 ekathimerini

The fate of kidnapped businessman Pericles Panagopoulos appeared unclear last night after
his wife made a public appeal on Saturday for the abductors to get in touch with her or even
to take her hostage in place of the 74-year-old.
Katerina Panagopoulou called several TV channels on Saturday to plead with the gang that
last Monday kidnapped her husband, the founder of Greece’s largest ferry operator Attica
Holdings, to call her after a deadline for the ransom to be paid had passed without any
contact.
“I was ready to satisfy their demands 24 hours ago but they have not called,” she said. “I
offer myself in exchange.” The size of the ransom has not been made public.
Unconfirmed reports yesterday suggested that the abductors had contacted Panagopoulou
after her emotional plea. Panagopoulos suffers from a serious health problem, which has
heightened concerns about his condition.

Two arrests in Chania for 600 grams of hashish
19th January 2009 Haniotika Nea

A quantity of 600 grams of cannabis was seized by drugs police, with the help of a sniffer dog,
at a home in Pemonia, Fres, Chania at noon on Friday, with the arrest of a local man and a
French woman. Also found were precision scales, empty plastic wrappings of various sizes and
an illegal semi-automatic weapon. The police investigation was a result of tip off that a Greek
resident of the Apokoronou province was distributing drugs to users in the wider area of
Chania.

LAWYERS SUE - Anger over police behavior
17th January 2009 ekathimerini

More than 20 lawyers filed suits yesterday against police officers in connection to events at
the end of last Friday’s education protest. Riot police took a number of lawyers into custody
during a standoff between protesters and authorities in Exarchia that resulted in some
lawyers being taken into custody. The 22 lawyers claim the officers were guilty of breach of
duty, attempted bodily harm and unnecessarily exposing people to tear gas and swearing.
Representatives of the Athens Bar Association said that they would meet with Interior Minister
Prokopis Pavlopoulos to discuss the matter.

Universities want better guards
16th January 2009 ekathimerini

University lecturers and rectors are calling for reforms that would enable them to increase the
number of guards protecting university faculties and to recruit individuals who are better
equipped – physically – to deal with intruders.
According to sources, some academics are even proposing the creation of a “university police
force” that would have the authority to monitor and stop suspect visitors.
Another proposal reportedly under consideration is cooperation with private security firms,
which some institutions have already begun.
The current problem, according to academics, is that most university guards are recruited
through the state’s Supreme Council for Personnel Selection (ASEP), whose criteria do not
include physical requirements or special training. “This year we have had nine vacancies filled
for us through ASEP, six of whom are women,” a university professor told Kathimerini, clearly
suggesting that tackling potentially violent intruders is a task better suited to men.
But many believe that, irrespective of gender, guards recruited through ASEP do not have the
training to deal with intruders. “The most recent damage was caused by four of five gangs
which infiltrated the faculty simultaneously from different locations with the aim of looting,”
Andreas Yiannakoudakis, vice rector of Thessaloniki’s Aristotle University, told Kathimerini.
Though looting of university faculties is rare, their occupation by self-styled anarchists is
frequent and academics believe guards should have the training – and authority – to be able
to stop ill-intentioned intruders.

TEENAGER SHOOTING - Ballistics report points to ricochet of fatal bullet
16th January 2009 ekathimerini

The magistrate investigating the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos by a police
officer on December 6 has been handed a ballistics report, which indicates that the bullet that
killed the teenager ricocheted before striking him in the heart, sources said yesterday. The
report indicates experts believe that Grigoropoulos was standing in one of three spots when
he was shot and, in each case, the bullet would have ricocheted, either off a wall or, more
likely, off a round concrete bollard. The findings seem to back the officer’s claim that he did not
fire directly at the teenager. However, they also appear to refute his claim that he fired
warning shots in the air.
Group claims attacks

Revolutionary Struggle says it fired on police officers this month and last
14th January ekathimerini

The terrorist group Revolutionary Struggle has claimed responsibility for the armed attack
earlier this month which left a police officer in a critical condition, as well as firing at a riot
squad bus in December and placing an explosive device outside the offices of Shell oil
company in southern Athens in October.
In an 11-page proclamation made available to the Pontiki weekly newspaper, which also
published its previous statements, the group explained that the January 5 attack in which
more than 30 shots were fired at three riot squad officers, leading to the injury of 21-year-old
Diamantis Mantzounis, was a response to the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Alexis
Grigoropoulos by a police special guard on December 6.
“Our decision to strike the armed riot squad murderers on January 5 was a response to the
murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos and our choice to act in this manner was mainly political,”
Revolutionary Struggle said in its proclamation.
“We have decided to take on the regime’s uniformed thugs, ready even to engage in an
armed struggle with them,” the group added.
Mirroring a practice adopted by Greece’s most deadly terrorist organization, November 17,
Revolutionary Struggle also described in detail the January 5 attack, claiming that one of the
three officers cowered behind a car and failed to fire back at the two gunmen. It also claims
that riot police sitting in a parked bus nearby failed to act, preferring instead to “save their
skins.”
The group also calls on other extremist organizations to take up arms and hits out at leftist
parties and Exarchia-based anarchists.
Pontiki was told the proclamation had been left in an abandoned house in the eastern Athens
neighborhood of Kaisariani on Monday. Anti-terrorism officers are examining it for clues.

As migrants are saved, Greece seeks EU aid
15th Janaury 2009 ekathimerini

As authorities in the Aegean rescued 53 would-be immigrants from a foundering boat off the
island of Milos yesterday, officials from Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta urged the European
Union to support them in their efforts to stem a relentless tide of illegal immigrants.
The rescue effort, which began on Tuesday night, involved commercial vessels, a navy frigate,
a Super Puma helicopter and a military transport aircraft. Initial attempts to save the migrants
were hampered by strong winds but success came shortly before 3 a.m. The immigrants,
whose ethnic origin was unclear, were all said to be in good health.
Meanwhile, a document seeking additional EU support in the fight to curb illegal immigration,
co-signed by Greece, was sent to Brussels. Greece’s Deputy Interior Minister Thanassis Nakos
and his counterparts from Cyprus, Italy and Malta signed the text in Rome on Tuesday.

Firebomb
13th January 2009 ekathimerini
Police in the Cretan port of Hania were seeking the perpetrators of a firebomb attack on the
main local post office in the early hours of yesterday that caused serious damage to the
building but no injuries.

Earthquake rattles Crete and southern Greece
12th January 2009 Associated Press

An earthquake struck southern Greece on Tuesday morning, rattling Crete and the Cycladic
islands but causing no damage or injuries, Greek authorities said.

The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.3, and the
U.S. Geological Survey gave it as 5.2. The magnitudes recorded by different seismology
centers often differ.

The quake struck at 8:12 a.m. (0612GMT) Tuesday and had an epicenter 220 miles (350
kilometers) southeast of Athens, beneath the seabed west of the island of Karpathos.

Local authorities said the quake was particularly felt on the island of Crete. The epicenter was
70 miles (110 kilometers) east of Crete's main city of Iraklion.

Prominent Greek ship owner abducted by armed men
Jan 12th 2009 Reuters

A prominent Greek ship owner was kidnapped near his home in Athens Monday by three men
armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, in the third such high-profile abduction in Greece since
June, police said.

The founder of Greek ferry operator Superfast Ferries, Pericles Panagopoulos, was abducted
as he was being driven to work in a coastal suburb. No-one was injured in the incident, which
is being investigated by anti-terrorist police.

"Panagopoulos and his driver were stopped and forced into another car by three gun-wielding
assailants," a police official who declined to be name told Reuters.

"The driver was then set free and subsequently informed the police of the event."

Police found a burned van and a car northeast of Athens, believed to belong to the abductors.
Police sources said they thought the kidnapping was the act of criminals seeking a ransom.

In June, the chief executive of aluminium company Alumil and chairman of the Federation of
Industries in the northern city of Thessaloniki, George Milonas, was kidnapped before being
released two weeks later after a ransom was paid.

Police arrested Greece's most wanted fugitive, Vassilis Palaiokostas, in August for Milonas'
kidnapping. He escaped from prison in 2006, where he was serving a sentence for robbery
and kidnapping.

Last month, a well-known Athens doctor was also kidnapped but has yet to be found.

Superfast Ferries, which operates mainly routes between Greece and Italy, is a subsidiary of
Greece's largest ferry operator Attica Holdings.

Bureaucracy worst in EU
12th January 2009 ekathimerini

The bureaucracy and complex procedures of the state system lead to more lost working hours
in Greece than in any other European Union state, two new studies indicate.

Each Greek spends an average of 207 hours per year waiting in lines at public service offices,
according to research by international consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the
Interior Ministry.

Aspiring entrepreneurs also have more problems here than in the rest of Europe, according to
the studies that say 30 laws and 15 procedures are involved in getting a private investment
off the ground. As for acquiring an operating license, 50 percent of would-be entrepreneurs
visited public service offices more than 10 times to get the crucial document, the ministry’s
report reveals. According to PwC, Greece spends 16.7 billion euros, or 6.8 percent of its gross
domestic product (GDP), on bureaucratic procedures. In the EU, only Hungary has such a high
rate, while the lowest rates are in Britain and Sweden, which spend just 1.5 percent of their
GDP on red tape.

Parliament to lead the way with smoking ban
10th January 2009 ekathimerini
In a bid to set an example for diehard Greek smokers who will be obliged to curb their habit in
all public places as of July 1, Parliament Speaker Dimitris Sioufas yesterday declared that a
smoking ban would come into force in Parliament by the end of this month.
Sioufas, reportedly a heavy smoker himself, said the ban in Parliament would apply not just to
the plenary session hall but to all parts of the building, except for the canteen and club house.
According to sources, smoking will be forbidden in Sioufas’s office too. Sioufas is said to be
optimistic, noting that other countries with a large proportion of heavy smokers have
managed to enforce the European Union-dictated restrictions. The Health Ministry decided to
adopt EU reforms six months ahead of the original deadline, January 1 2010, as it is thought
smokers will have fewer problems adapting to the measures in the summer.

Greek police fire teargas at stone throwing youths
Fri 9th January 2009 Reuters

Greek police fired teargas at hundreds of stone-throwing youths after an anti-government
march in Athens Friday, sparking fears of a return to the street violence which rocked the
country last month.
Several thousand students, teachers and public sector workers marched to parliament in
protest at the conservative government's policies, just over a month after the police shooting
of a teen-ager unleashed the worst riots in decades fed by anger at youth unemployment and
political scandals.
Hundreds of anarchists waving black flags and wearing gas masks broke away from the march
outside the university and threw stones and bottles at police, who responded with teargas.
Riot police with shields shut down roads and detained dozens of demonstrators in central
Athens, where business groups estimate last month's riots caused 1 billion euros in damage
and lost business.
"Thousands of protesters walked peacefully to parliament until anarchists threw bottles and
stones at police," said a police official who declined to be named. "Police are chasing them
around the city centre and have begun to make arrests."
The protest came two days after Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis announced a cabinet
reshuffle aimed at shoring up the popularity of his government, which has fallen well behind
the Socialist opposition party in opinion polls.
Newly-appointed Education Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos pledged Thursday to listen to all sides
before implementing controversial education reforms, which would allow the introduction of
private universities in Greece
Local media reported that a policeman shot with a Kalashnikov assault rifle by an unidentified
gunman Monday was in a serious condition in hospital Friday.
Authorities have said the weapons used in the attack in the central Athens Exarchia district
was the same used by the left-wing Revolutionary Struggle guerrilla group.

Greek Premier to Shuffle Cabinet
8th January 2009 Wall Street Journal

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said he will replace nine of his 16 cabinet members,
including the finance minister seen as the architect of the government's unpopular austerity
programs.
The reshuffle comes after two weeks of violent protests and riots last month, which were
triggered by the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy, but which coincided with broader public
resentment in Greece over recent tax increases and corruption scandals.
In a televised press conference, a government spokesman said Finance Minister George
Alogoskoufis would be succeeded by his deputy, John Papathanassiou, an electrical engineer
by training and past president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Many analysts say they expect the government to continue with its economic program despite
the replacement of the finance minister.
Mr. Karamanlis also replaced Development Minister Christos Folias with current Transport
Minister Costis Hadzidakis, who has presided over the privatization of Greece's deficit-ridden
flag carrier, Olympic Airlines.
The Transport Ministry portfolio will be assumed by Euripides Stylianides, currently the
education minister. However, both Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Defense Minister
Evangelos Meimarakis were reconfirmed in their posts, as was Interior and Public Order
Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who had offered to resign last month following the police
shooting of 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulo.

Student-teacher demos set to return to streets
8th January 2009 ekathimerini
University students, high school pupils and their teachers are due to pick up tomorrow where
they left off in December with the first protest of 2009, prompting some institutions to try to
protect themselves from possible rioting.
The rally was planned last month and aims to keep up opposition to the government’s
education policies, which was voiced repeatedly during almost daily demonstrations following
the shooting of teenager Alexis Grigoropoulos in Exarchia by a police officer. Teaching unions
will stage work stoppages between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at morning schools and 2 p.m. and 5 p.
m. at afternoon schools.
The National Technical University of Athens, which suffered widespread damage during rioting
last month, invited students, lecturers and employees to form a protective cordon around the
school to prevent further vandalism or rioters using the premises to hide from police.

Greek police conduct Vigil for Colleague
6th January 2009 Associated Press

About 700 police officers have gathered outside a hospital in Greece where a policeman is
being treated following a shooting attack linked to a domestic terrorist group.
The 21-year-old officer was shot and seriously wounded in central Athens on Monday. Police
matched recovered bullet casings to a weapon used in the past by a far-left Greek militant
group, Revolutionary Struggle.
The attack followed serious riots last month after the fatal shooting of a teenager by police.
Police officers on Tuesday gathered outside an Athens hospital, staging a silent vigil to
support their wounded colleague. The wounded policeman remains in critical condi

Gunmen shoot policeman in Athens
5th January 2009 BBC

A Greek riot policeman has been seriously injured by two men with Kalashnikov automatic
weapons in central Athens, officials say.

The officer was part of a unit guarding the culture ministry when the pre-dawn attack took
place.
The policeman was taken to hospital and undergoing surgery.
A huge manhunt is under way. Last month Greece saw its worst riots in decades after the
fatal shooting by police of a teenager in Athens. Police say 20 shots were fired by the
attackers.

They say the 21-year-old officer spotted the gunmen and warned his colleagues shortly before
he was hit by two bullets, one in the chest, the other in the leg.

A number of people have been taken in for questioning. The incident took place in the Exarchia
district, close to where Athens teenager Alexandros Grigoropoulos was shot by a policeman
last month.

Russia to hold wargames in Greek airspace, off Crete and Rhodes
3rd January 2009 Reuters

A Russian aircraft carrier will conduct military exercises in Greek airspace later this month, the
first such wargames to take place in the NATO member's area, Greece's Defence Ministry said
on Friday.
The carrier Kuznetsov will operate southeast of the Greek island of Rhodes on Jan 3, 4, 8 and
10 and south of the island of Crete on Jan 11, it said.
"The Kuznetsov, which is sailing in the southeast Mediterranean, asked Greece's civil aviation
authority to operate within the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR)," the ministry said in a
statement. "The request was granted."Greek defense officials said that Russian Sukhoi 25 and
Sukhoi 33 fighter aircraft would take part in the operations, as well as Kamov helicopters.It
was the first time that such a request was made, officials said.

New Year in Greece mostly peaceful
Jan 2nd 2009
The New Year celebrations in Athens included fireworks over the Akropolis and a concert in
Syntagma Square, which was attended by hundreds of people. Despite fears of protests
turning violent, the event passed off peacefully.
However arsonists attacked more than 20 banks and businesses in Athens and Thessaloniki
early on Thursday after New Year celebrations.
Despite the series of arson attacks, the Christmas tree in Syntagma Square survived
unscathed, even though some online bookmakers had been accepting bets on it being razed
for a second time. Ekathimerini.com

Greek Tanker Escaped Hijacking
2nd January 2009 ert.gr

Greek flagged tanker "Crete Episkopi" escaped being seized by Somali pirates while sailing in
the Gulf of Aden. Its 29 member crew, among them 6 Greek officers avoided hijacking due to
the captains manouvers and the crew's prompt response to attacks by heavily armed Somali
pirates bombing them with water pumps. The arrival of a Danish frigate and a Spanish
helicopter brought the final halt to the attack. The Emergency Management Crew informed the
Defense and Foreign Ministries as well as the international centers to combat piracy. In
parallel, the chief of Port Authority was in continuous contact with the chief of the Armed
Forces while the EU Military operation "ATALANTA" was also informed. Coordinated actions
prevented two Somali pirates attacks to seize the tanker.

________________________________________________________________________

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