In Brief
HELIOS CRASH
Investigation chief starts taking statements from officials, experts The head of Greek team investigating the fatal crash of a Cypriot airliner outside Athens two weeks ago is today due to take statements from technicians and engineers of the doomed aircraft’s owner Helios Airways in Larnaca. Akrivos Tsolakis yesterday took statements from senior officials of the Cypriot aviation sector as well as air-traffic controllers, including two who had been on duty at Larnaca airport on the morning of the tragedy. Earlier, Tsolakis met Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Transport Minister Haris Thrassou. RETIREMENT HOMES Athens prefect files suits against owners of 9 suspect businesses Athens Prefect Yiannis Sgouros yesterday filed lawsuits against the owners of nine private retirement homes in the city that have been found to maintain unacceptable standards of hygiene during recent checks. Sgouros filed the suits with the Athens prosecutor, whom he asked to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against anyone. If any retirement home owners are found guilty, they could face up to 12 months in jail but the sentence can be bought out for up to 20,000 euros, Sgouros said. SEIKH SOU Burnt forest gets 3 million euros More than 3 million euros from the European Union’s Cohesion Fund has been made available for the restoration and protection of Thessaloniki’s Seikh Sou Forest, over half of which was ravaged in a major fire eight years ago, the regional authority for Central Macedonia said yesterday. The money is earmarked for awareness programs, protecting the forest against further fires and the possible flooding of the nearby Elaiorema River. The same fund is to contribute another 12 million euros to the forest’s regeneration by the end of 2007. Bather killer A 29-year-old Iranian national accused of drowning a 72-year-old woman at a beach in Alimos, southeastern Athens, was yesterday given more time to prepare his defense before an investigating magistrate. The unnamed man has been charged with the murder of Loukia Zacharaki, whom he is alleged to have dunked in and out of the water until she died. Forest fires Firefighters yesterday evening struggled to contain two forest fires, one near Patras and another near Kastoria, which were being fanned by strong winds. The Patras blaze broke out close to the marsh of Agyia, believed to be a rare ecosystem. A large security operation involving dozens of fire engines, aided by four water-dropping aircraft, was mobilized to keep the flames away from nearby gas stations and residential areas. The Kastoria blaze broke out near the village of Ano Mela, in the municipality of Korestia. There was no indication of the damage wreaked by either fire. Climber safe A German mountain climber was flown to a hospital by helicopter yesterday after being injured while climbing down Mount Olympus in northern Greece along with an eight-member team. The 38-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in Larissa. Drugs busts Police and border guards yesterday seized more than 130 kilos of hashish in two separate raids. Following a long car chase, a 35-year-old man was arrested in Kozani with 90 kilos of the drug in his possession. Another 41 kilos was confiscated from two Albanians stopped near the border carrying two rucksacks. The pair told police they had been due to hand over the drugs to a Greek middleman in Thessaloniki. Train death A 55-year-old woman died after suffering a heart attack on an intercity train traveling between Alexandroupolis and Athens yesterday, the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) said. The woman was traveling on her own and had the heart attack just before the train pulled into Kilkis. A doctor who was on board was not able to revive her. False theft A 25-year-old Thessaloniki man was yesterday charged with briefing police of a false theft in order to justify money he had stolen from the company he worked for. The man told police two men had robbed him of 2,093 euros as he left his apartment. Police said after continuous questioning the man confessed to lying.
