In Brief
YIOSSAKIS INTRACTABLE
Former priest remanded after denying any link to trial-fixing ring Former archimandrite Iakovos Yiossakis was remanded in custody yesterday after refuting all charges linking him to an alleged trial-fixing ring during nine hours of testimony before two investigating magistrates on Monday. Yiossakis claimed that his only connection was that he was acquainted with some judges and lawyers who have been implicated in the ring. As for 300,000 euros discovered in his bank accounts, he said the money came from the sale of property he had inherited. TERRORISM VICTIMS Third Sunday in January proposed as official day of remembrance The third Sunday in January will be dedicated to remembering the victims of terrorist groups in Greece if a proposal by Education Minister Marietta Giannakou, made public yesterday, is realized. A presidential decree is to be issued after the Health, Economy and Education ministries submit proposals regarding the nature of the commemorative events to be held on that day and the body which will organize them. Victims’ families will be consulted for their opinions, Giannakou said. FOOD VIOLATIONS Rotten goods seized in Piraeus Prefectural officials yesterday confiscated nearly 500 kilos of rotten meat and nearly 50 kilos of rancid cheese yesterday after raiding an abandoned butcher’s store in the central meat market of Piraeus. The products were confiscated and the store was shut down although there was no sign of its owner, officials said. Meanwhile, inspections conducted on supermarkets in Piraeus revealed that the shelf prices of several products did not match the prices registered by their bar codes at the checkout counter. (Editorial Page 2) Cyprus committee The European Parliament yesterday set up an eight-member committee aimed at establishing contacts with politicians in the Turkish-held north of Cyprus and to report on political developments there. Committee members are to visit the area twice over the next six months the group’s coordinator, Francoise Grossetete, said. She said the group’s activities did not constitute recognition of the illegal Turkish-held state. Greek-US deal Greece and the USA will sign a judicial agreement today which is part of an earlier deal reached between Washington and the European Union. The agreement will be signed in Washington by Greek Ambassador Alexandros Mallias and aims to strengthen cross-border judicial powers against organized crime in particular. The deal covers powers of extradition and guarantees a fair trial. Prostitute ring Police arrested four men in Polikastro and Thessaloniki in northern Greece yesterday for running a prostitution ring involving two women, both Albanian nationals. Police posed as customers and then arrested the men, two Greeks and two Albanians. An investigation revealed that one of the men had been paroled from prison and that one of the women had been smuggled into Greece. Illegal smokes Authorities in Halkidiki, northern Greece, yesterday seized three truckloads of cigarettes that had been smuggled into the country. Police estimated there were some 500,000 packets of cigarettes in the trucks. The three drivers arrested were two men from Greece and one from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). UN explanation Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iacovou said yesterday that he had been reassured by United Nations representatives that a UN agency had not intended to create a development fund for Turkish Cypriots without consulting with Nicosia first. Iacovou called the move by the UN Development Agency «provocative» last week but said that he was told by UN officials that there had been no intention to allocate funds without first consulting with Nicosia. Delivery limits Delivery trucks will not be able to provide supplies to retail stores in the center of Athens between 7 a.m. and 10.30 a.m., the Environment Ministry said yesterday. The restriction began last year and has been extended until the end of 2006 in a bid to ease traffic in central Athens and to help reduce pollution.
