A prosecutor yesterday charged a 20th suspect with being a member of the November 17 terrorist gang, seven months after a court sentenced 15 members to long prison terms.

Prosecutor Antonis Mytis charged Costas Avramidis, a 42-year-old graphic artist, with being a member of a criminal organization, of illegally storing explosives and of moral instigation of 44 acts by the N17 terrorist gang. Avramidis was arrested during the trial which ended in December but was released without bail in May 2003. Now Mytis has asked investigating appeals court judge Leonidas Zervobeakos to probe further.

The physical evidence against Avramidis is said to be scanty but he was named by N17 members Savvas Xeros and Sotiris Kondylis as a member who used the name “Costas the Pontian.” According to Kondylis, Avramidis introduced him to chief N17 operative Dimitris Koufodinas.

Avramidis is accused of involvement in the murders of Costas Peratikos, Nikos Momferatos, Dimitris Angelopoulos, Pavlos Bakoyiannis and Alexandros Athanassiadis-Bodosakis.