NEWS

In Brief

PROFITEERING CRACKDOWN

Gov’t fines 30 market traders for overpricing fruit and vegetables Thirty street market traders face prosecution for profiteering or misleading customers over the prices of fruit and vegetables, Deputy Development Minister Kimon Koulouris said yesterday following a meeting with market representatives. State inspections over the past few weeks revealed many cases of overpricing – in some cases by as much as 230 percent – a lack of price boards, and unclear display of prices, according to Koulouris. He said that checks would be stepped up. Prices for many kinds of fruit and vegetables are higher at street markets than in grocery stores and supermarkets, according to the ministry’s price observatory. TESTY TOURISTS British family face court after alleged beating of store owner A British family of four faced an Athens court yesterday, charged with the assault of an Athens souvenir shop owner. Dimitris Karamichalos, 49, was hospitalized with a broken leg after the alleged attack Saturday night by Andrew Glover, 44, Vera Johnson, 45, and their sons Christian, 24, and Frederick, 19. The four, all charged with grievous bodily harm, resisting arrest, and using threatening and insulting behavior, are to appear before a magistrate tomorrow. They hail from the quiet country town of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, according to British media. HELLENIKON SITE Court rejects appeal by ex-landowners The Council of State yesterday rejected an appeal by former owners of land at Hellenikon – whose property had been expropriated for the construction of the now-disused airport – for the return of their property. The residents had requested that a decision to transfer part of the old airport site to state-backed property developers Hellenic Tourism Properties be declared illegal and unconstitutional, stressing that they would otherwise suffer irreparable damage. But the court rejected their appeal, saying that the protesters would suffer no such damage. Baggage pilferers Seven employees of a private baggage-handling firm had been stealing from luggage passing through Athens Airport over the past two years, airport police said yesterday, after six of them were arrested. The arrests came after police caught a representative of Goldair Handling allegedly pilfering a piece of luggage that was checked in last Friday. The unnamed employee, and another five Goldair staff, were subsequently arrested. The seventh is being sought. Pesticides crackdown Producers and traders of fresh fruit and vegetables will henceforth face fines of between 3,000 to 20,000 euros for excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers which are a health risk and damaging to the environment, Deputy Agriculture Minister Evangelos Argyris said yesterday, following the prosecution of 13 businesses. The firms – which include fruit and vegetable import companies, seedbed enterprises and producers – were found to have used excessive amounts of pesticides and fertilizers or to have illegally traded them. Electricity problems Kasos residents had their electricity restored yesterday afternoon following nearly three days without. A ferry arrived at the Aegean island with electricity generators. The island lost its electricity supply on Friday night due to damage to an underwater electricity cable providing it with power from neighboring Karpathos. Islanders said municipal leaders had informed the competent authorities about a problem with the network supplying the island a long time before. Father to testify A 31-year-old construction worker charged with the murder of his 7-week-old daughter – who died of injuries sustained from a severe beating last Friday – will tomorrow appear before an investigating magistrate. Yesterday, he was granted an extra day to prepare his defense. The father, identified only as L.V., has admitted to hitting his daughter and swinging her around by the foot to stop her crying. Yesterday, he and his wife said the baby slipped out of his hands while they were bathing it and he grabbed it by the leg. Speedboat death The trial of Czech tourist Ivan Erat, 52, charged with the manslaughter of diver Stavros Sioutis, 47, whom he allegedly hit with his speedboat off Thasos on Saturday, was yesterday postponed until August 6 at the request of the victim’s family.

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