NEWS

In Brief

INCOMPATIBILITY CHALLENGE

Parliament speaker defends MPs’ right to boost their salaries Parliament Speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki yesterday called for a review of a law restricting active MPs from holding a parallel profession, while complaining about the relatively low salaries allocated to parliamentary deputies. The «incompatibility» law should be re-evaluated as part of a broader revision of the Greek Constitution, Psarouda-Benaki told state television channel NET. «MPs’ salaries should be in line with wages for other public sector posts, and there are many state functionaries whose wages are higher than those of MPs,» she said. FATAL SHOOTOUT Albanian suspected robber killed in exchange of fire with police An Albanian man, believed to be behind a series of robberies and thefts, was killed in an exchange of fire with police outside his home in the Athenian district of Ambelokipi yesterday afternoon. Officers were lying in wait outside the man’s house and the suspect allegedly fired at the policemen as soon as he saw them upon leaving the house. Officers said they fired back in defense, fatally injuring the suspected robber. FATAL NEGLIGENCE Ex-navy captain jailed for 2 years A Syros court yesterday passed down a two-year jail sentence on a retired navy captain found guilty of causing a woman’s death nearly five years ago through his negligent navigation of a passenger ship. Matthaios Moutakis had brought the V. Kornaros ferry into the port of Milos at such a high speed that a large wave was created, knocking Harikleia Katsarou off her yacht. Katsarou was killed during the fall. Olympic privatization The government told privatization adviser Lazards to investigate further bids submitted by two companies that have shown an interest in buying state-owned Olympic Airlines. Transport and finance ministers discussed the issue yesterday and called for a briefing from the adviser in the next 15 days. The government also said that it will inform the European Commission of issues regarding the airline. Yiossakis trial Iakovos Yiossakis, a former priest thought to have been at the heart of a trial-fixing ring, is to be tried on charges of stealing religious antiquities by a Piraeus court on November 22, it was revealed yesterday. The ex-cleric, who is in custody at Korydallos Prison, insists that he has done nothing illegal. Family business A mother and son, whose ages were not made public, yesterday faced an Arta prosecutor on drug-dealing charges after various substances were confiscated from their home. Officers seized nearly 80 grams of cocaine, 110 grams of cannabis, scales and five bank books, indicating that a total of 15,000 euros had been deposited in their accounts in the past two months. Towering inferno Twenty firefighters and five fire trucks were needed early yesterday morning to put out a fire that started in a jewelry store on the eighth floor of a building near the center of Thessaloniki, authorities said. It was not immediately clear what had started the blaze, which caused some 10,000 euros in damage. Kilkis killing A 47-year-old man was arrested yesterday in the northern city of Kilkis after allegedly stabbing to death a 52-year-old acquaintance following a heavy drinking bout, police said. The two men were drinking wine at the suspect’s house late on Tuesday night when they got into an argument and the younger man stabbed the victim in the back, officers said. Forged documents A 60-year-old man was arrested yesterday on charges of selling forged government documents. The man was caught as he tried to sell an undercover policemen two forged documents, a driving license and a police identity card, for 4,500 euros. Ring smashed Police said yesterday that they had broken up a drug ring selling heroin, cocaine and other illegal narcotics in Athens. Two men, aged 23 and 28, were arrested along with a 19-year old girl. Police found in their possession 1.5 kilos of heroin, 10 kilos of cannabis and 100 grams of cocaine.

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