N17 terror suspects to lose assets
The assets of at least nine of the 19 November 17 terrorism suspects are to be seized in response to a suit by the Post Office which is seeking compensation for two postal savings bank robberies allegedly carried out by the left-wing group. Under a decision by an Athens court that was leaked yesterday (but has not been officially published) authorities will confiscate all property belonging to the nine suspects up to a total value of 2.5 million euros. The suspects affected are alleged N17 mastermind Alexandros Yotopoulos, Dimitris Koufodinas, Theologos Psaradellis, brothers Savvas, Christodoulos and Vassilis Xeros, Vassilis Tzortzatos, Iraklis Costaris and Costas Karatsolis. In the summer, the Post Office sued for a total of 2.5 million euros in compensation for a 1991 848,000-euro heist and a 1997 278,000-euro robbery attributed to N17. The sum sought includes interest on the loot and legal fees. The suspects’ assets were frozen on August 29, in a decision that included N17 members still at large. Since then, another four arrests have been made. The N17 trial starts on March 3.
